Chapter Text
Hello, all. Here is Halo: Eternals - my script for a new Halo video game. I hope you like it - please do leave a comment if you do or don't! Comments are candy to writers! Also, my Twitter is @isaiddonttouch
Halo: Eternals
Mission #1
Within Black Waters, A Shadow
“Wake up. There’s work to do.”
{CUTSCENE}
It is a night sky populated endlessly with stars. All is peaceful and silent. Then, slowly, one of the stars in the centre of the screen begins to flicker as if a glitch in space-time itself. It grows, expanding, until space cracks open and the blue-indigo portal of a slipspace rupture opens up. From the portal, shark-like, emerges the Sahara-class heavy prowler Tempest . The ship slinks silently out of the portal and, as the camera follows it, we see it is approaching an unknown rust-coloured planet which hangs like a marble in distant space.
We are now aboard the barebones, cramped bridge of the Tempest. The vast viewscreen at the front gives a perfect view of the approaching planet. Crewmen walk about or operate terminals. In the centre of the bridge, looking out towards the planet, is Captain Tajender Sanda. An Indian Sikh in his mid-fifties, he has a black beard and a UNSC Navy-issue turban. He stands holding a mug of tea, which he sips from.
Sanda: Are we clear?
Sailor #1: Aye, sir – cloak is engaged and holding steady. Covenant probably can’t see us coming.
Sanda: I don’t like that “probably.”
Sailor #1: It’s a major Sangheili colony, captain, it’s a miracle we made it this far at all.
Sanda stares down the planet, as if daring it to do something.
Sanda: Do we still have a track on the supercarrier?
Sailor #2: We’ve got a bead on Extraordinary Dream ; she’s entering Qaepan’s orbit now, sir. It’s gotta be a refuelling stop.
S anda takes a sip of tea.
Sanda: Then our long wait is finally over. Bring the ship up to Condition Red, if you please; and let our passengers know it’s time to earn their legend.
Sailor #3: Aye, sir.
We cut to inside the sleeping quarters of the ship; it is cramped, made up of triple-decker bunk beds like a submarine. Sat on the foot of one bed is Jade-088, a SPARTAN-II. She is dressed from neck to toe in a skintight black exosuit normally worn beneath MJOLNIR armour and hunched down looking at something; we see that she is holding an old family photo, featuring a toddler being held by a smiling older mother.
Sailor #4: Excuse me, ma’am?
Jade looks up at the sailor, and we see her face for the first time. S he is a young Kenyan woman, no older than nineteen, with heterochromia; one eye is bright green and the other bright blue. A consequence of problems during her augmentation which we will learn more about eventually. The sailor is momentarily flustered by the fact that a real-life Spartan is looking at them.
Sailor #4: Uh… sorry, uh, it’s time. You need to go to Engineering. Ma’am.
Jade: Thank you.
Jade takes one last look at the photograph, and then folds it up and puts it away with her personal items in a small Navy-issue bag . She stands; there’s a strange heaviness to her as she exits and walks down the corridor, sailors parting like the Red Sea to let this seven-foot tall musclegirl supersoldier past. A couple look at her with awe.
Sailor #5: Damn…
Sailor #6: Think she hits her head a lot?
W e follow Jade from behind as she enters Engineering; the room is dominated by a ring-shaped machine which will equip the Spartan’s MJOLNIR armour for them. A group of engineers in protective suits, to shield them from any chemical mishaps during the process, stand around tinkering with the equipment.
Intercom: Attention. All hands to battle stations. All hands to battle stations.
One of the engineers approaches Jade.
Engineer #1: Lieutenant. Good to see you. We’re on the clock, so if you could hop aboard and then we’ll-
Sheldon- 130, the other SPARTAN-II on the team (Australian and red-headed), suddenly enters and interrupts. He is already wearing his silver armour, with his Scout helmet in his hands.
Sheldon: And then we’ll make you into the Covenant killer of everyone’s dreams.
Sheldon slaps Jade’s shoulder in a friendly manner. Jade is unphased – the two couldn’t be closer if they tried, and they know each other inside and out.
Jade: You are already equipped…
Sheldon: We were doing a dummy run when the call came. Lucky, huh? Doctor, are we ready to dance?
Engineer #1: Yes, sir, the lieutenant’s MJOLNIR is primed and ready. Just need to turn on the music.
Sheldon: Well then, show us your moves.
Sheldon beckons for Jade to step up to the machine; she does so without a word. There is a strange vulnerability for someone so big.
Engineer #2: Please assume the position, lieutenant.
Sheldon: I think she knows by now, fellas. Ready to suit-up?
Jade: Yes.
Jade forms a star with her legs and arms . T he arms of the machine begin to move around her .
Engineer #1: We have positive calibration. All meters green. Initiating Prom Dress.
S heldon watches as the arms of the machine begin to dress Jade in her grey armour, piece by piece; the chest piece, the gauntlets, the greaves, all are attached to her exosuit and mould onto it as if becoming one. Finally, her Recon helmet is lowered and fits onto her head, completing the suit-up.
{GAMEPLAY}
We are now, if briefly, seeing things through Jade’s eyes (the purpose of this is to let the player decide if they want inverted controls or not) as her Heads Up Display switches on and the robot arms which assembled her armour begin to withdraw. An engineer with a tablet stands before Jade, while Sheldon watches on.
Engineer #1: Lieutenant, if you don’t mind; we just need to triple-check your suit’s calibration.
Sheldon: I thought you said “primed and ready”?
Engineer #1: Abundance of caution, sir.
The engineer produces a red light on his tablet and holds it up to Jade.
Engineer #1: Look at the light please, ma’am.
The player does so. The light turns green and the engineer moves the light downwards.
Engineer #1: Great. Now down here.
The player does so and the light turns green.
Engineer #1: Excellent. Many thanks – everything looks good.
Sheldon: Course it does. She’s a Spartan, after all.
{CUTSCENE}
We are back on the bridge with Captain Sanda. The room is a hive of activity.
Sanda: Any disturbances in the Covenant fleet, yet?
Sailor: Negative, sir. We’re ghosts.
Behind Sanda, the two Spartans appear.
Jade: Captain Sanda, sir.
Sanda turns to face them and they exchange salutes.
Sanda: Lieutenant; good to see you. Are the two of you ready?
Sheldon: Born ready, sir.
Sanda nods.
Sanda: Then Operation Merryweather can begin. Get to your stations and await the word.
The two Spartans turn to leave.
Sanda: And Spartans?
Both turn back.
Sanda: Make it back. If there’s any hope left for humanity, it’s in soldiers like you.
Jade: Mission first, sir.
Sanda nods, a hint of sadness about him, and the two Spartans leave. Sanda turns back to view the Covenant planet.
Sanda: (to himself) What glorious revenge this will be. And how pointless.
W e are now in the hangar of the Tempest, where a pair of Booster Frames have been readied . The Spartans climb aboard and the hangar opens from below, with the two Booster Frames being lowered into open space from hooks. The two Spartans have a moment of silence.
Sheldon: Feeling alright, Jade?
Jade: Yes.
Sheldon: I know now’s not the best time to talk, but…
He looks at her – she doesn’t look back. He looks away.
Sheldon: Never mind. You know.
Intercom (COM): Launch in five… four… three…
Sheldon: Good luck, Jade.
Jade glances at him.
Intercom (COM): …two… one… launch.
T he two Booster Frames are released; their engines activate and they rocket towards Qaepan .
Sheldon: Good launch.
Tempest (COM): Strike team, this is Tempest; we are withdrawing to the rendezvous point. Meet you there. Radio silence until then.
Sheldon: Copy, Tempest. Out.
Jade: I have a visual on Covenant vessels.
Sheldon: Mow through. We’ll blast by them before they know what to do.
Jade: Copy.
W e see the Covenant fleet assembled just outside the planet’s orbit. It’s huge – countless capital ships surrounded by smaller destroyers and corvettes. The two Booster Frames begin to weave between the various ships on their way to the planet’s surface. From a distance, we see the pinprick of the two Booster Frames passing through the fleet.
Sheldon: We’re through.
The Booster Frames enter the atmosphere, glowing red-hot as they do.
Jade: Shields are holding for atmospheric entry.
Sheldon: They better.
From behind, we see as the Booster Frames pass through the initial atmospheric layer and the fiery re-entry fades. Now all that is below is scorching red and orange desert.
Sheldon: Nearly there, Jade. Level out and bear north. Then, we’ll-
Sheldon is interrupted as a trio of Banshees dive between the two Booster Frames.
Sheldon: Shit!
The two Booster Frames break off.
Jade: Bandits! Bandits!
Sheldon: We can’t outrun them – dive and evade!
The two Booster Frames dive for the ground with the three Banshees in pursuit , pulling up at the last second and whipping up dust as they go. The landscape is like the Arizona desert with its geological features – but more dramatic. One of the Banshees doesn’t pull up in time and smashes into the ground.
Jade: Scratch one.
The pair continue to speed just inches from the ground, weaving between rock formations as they go. The Banshees keep on top of them; they dive into a deep canyon and the chase continues. Jade’s Booster Frame takes a plasma round to an engine.
Jade: I’m hit!
Sheldon: Bail! Bail!
Jade: I have an idea.
Sheldon: Is it a good one?
Jade: I’m not certain.
Without another word, Jade leaps from her Booster Frame and backflips through the air in a fun slow-motion moment . As the Booster Frame crashes to the ground in a fiery inferno, Jade makes contact with one of the Banshees and grabs onto it. She kicks the cockpit open, plunges a combat knife into the Sangheili pilot, and replaces him at the controls.
Jade: Keep going. I’ll deal with the last one.
Sheldon: No words, Jade.
Jade spins the Banshee behind the last enemy Banshee and hits its wing, causing it to spiral and crash.
Jade: He’s down.
Sheldon: Nice work. Follow me; objective’s just up ahead.
T hey turn a corner in the canyon and come across another Banshee heading straight for them.
Jade: Look out!
Jade boosts her Banshee and, as the enemy one fires, gets between it and Sheldon. She takes the blast and her crippled Banshee spirals towards the ground, just arresting its spin at the last second before crashing into the ground and skidding along in flames, finally coming to a halt.
Sheldon: Jade? Jade?! Jade, do you hear me?
Fade to black.
{GAMEPLAY}
We are now fully in the mission as Jade. She awakens from unconsciousness on the hard desert ground, the burning wreckage of the Banshee near her, as a Phantom slowly passes by overhead. Looking to her side, she finds that she is laying on the very edge of the canyon; it’s surely deeper than the Grand Canyon down there. Jade is on one of the many little mesa-islands which dot the middle of the canyon, linked only by thin sheets of ground. Jade gets to her feet; she is armed only with an M6G Magnum pistol.
Jade: Sheldon? Do you read?
Sheldon (COM): I copy, Jade. What’s your status?
Jade: I’m okay.
Sheldon (COM): Thank God. I’m at the landing site. Come to me and we’ll move on the objective.
Jade: Waiting for me will slow us down.
Sheldon (COM): I can’t do this without you, Jade. I’ll lay low and wait. Keep your wits about you; Covenant are swarming already. If you die, I’ll go on alone.
Jade: Spartans never die.
Sheldon (COM): If you say so, Jade. Sheldon out.
The player moves along the edge of the canyon, before hopping down and slowly descending one of the vertigo-inducing ridges.
Sheldon (COM): There’s a natural bridge across the canyon further ahead. I’m on the other side. You just need to find a way across.
I n the distance, across the barren landscape, comes the ominous howl of a Sangheili. Continuing, the first enemies appear in the form of a couple squads of Grunts led by a n Elite Major, patrolling in search of Jade.
Jade: Here we go…
Jade engages and defeats the first Covenant enemies, and is now able to pick up new weapons; the Plasma Rifle dropped by the Elite is the only one really worth having. She continues, getting strafed by a Phantom passing by, before engaging additional Grunts as well as a mix of Elite Minors and Majors, with a couple shield-wielding Jackals thrown in. She continues.
Here, the landscape becomes less barren in the sense that an old Sangheili village populates the mesa. Additional Elites, leading squadrons of Grunts and Jackals, pose a threat. Jade then goes through a winding tunnel, fighting another squadron as she does, before the tunnel ends in a sheer drop into the canyon. She has to jump from platform to platform, made up of free-standing rock towers, while a Jackal sniper toys with her. Eventually she makes it back to the mesa and fights through more enemies including Brute Minors led by an Elite Major to approach the bridge, which is made of a thin rock archway which has formed to connect the two sides of the canyon.
J ade finds the bridge blocked by a pair of Spirit turrets manned by Grunts, as well as more enemy infantry including a Brute Chieftain with a Gravity Hammer. Look closely while approaching these enemy positions and the player can see the Chieftain being bullied by the Elite Ultra on scene. The Gravity Hammer, of course, is a bit of an extra danger when there’s a very deep canyon either side. Jade defeats the enemies and crosses the bridge to the other side of the canyon.
{CUTSCENE}
Jade walks carefully through the field of Covenant corpses, keeping a wary eye out. At her feet, we see the eyes of a Sangheili Ultra open. Behind her, it slowly gets to its feet and approaches her, raising a fist. And then its head it blown away by a sniper shot. Jade whips around and stares at the dead Sangheili.
Sheldon (COM): Surprise.
Jade turns and looks up the nearby rock clifftops to see Sheldon wave. She holds up a hand in greeting.
Sheldon (COM): Find your way up and join me. It’s just a quick romp through the caves.
Jade: Got it.