Halo: Survival is a fan produced audio drama following Rhino Squad as they attempt a routine mission on behalf of the Office of Naval Intelligence. When things go sideways, the Marines find themselves stranded and must fight to survive.
“Clear right!” O’Neill shouted as he moved around the corner of the metallic structure with his BR55 raised.
O’Neill used the side-mounted flashlight on his rifle to illuminate the room as he advanced into it. The room was a large, hollow space with a few blue lights decorating it – and what appeared to be some kind of console mounted on one wall with ancient Forerunner hieroglyphs planned within. The Marines weren’t sure what the purpose of the structure was, but it’s angular tower emitted a blue pulse into the sky every now and then – suggesting it was part of some kind of network. They were sure that Talbot would have loved the finer details – but they were lost on the Marines. They just wanted shelter. Wisner moved in behind with the CQS48 Shotgun raised. He lowered the weapon and then reached up to his helmet, tapping his comms device to activate it.
“Complex is secure, Sarge. You and Vorstock can come on in.”
O’Neill and Wisner set about placing their weapons down against the wall as they began to assess the space. Wisner reached into one of the pouches on his vest and pulled out some kind of energy bar – peeling back foil as he bit hungrily at it. He finished it and then slung the MA40 he was also carrying off of his back and begun the process of field-stripping it. O’Neill was now sat doing the same with his BR55. Vorstock walked in with her BR55 slung across her chest and the Sergeant came in the rear – with her DMR slumped on her back as she drunk some water from a canteen.
“What’s the situation?” She asked, walking in.
“Well it ain’t no Sundown, but it’ll do, Sarge.” Wisner joked.
“It’s close quarters.” Vorstock chimed in, turning to the Sergeant. “We can’t stay here for long. If the Banished were to catch us in here, it’d be like shooting fish in a barrel.”
“We don’t have many good options right now.” Holt retorted. “We’ve just got to make the best of a bad situation. Hunker down and get some sleep Marines. It’ll be nightfall soon. I’ll take the first watch.”
Holt went back outside to a ramp which they had passed as they cleared the Forerunner structure, and she climbed it – emerging on a platform which surrounded the apex of the emitter tower. She walked to the edge and sat, her DMR nestled across her legs as she looked out across the rich and expansive landscape of the ring. Across, in the trees, she could see some animals which weren’t too dis-similar to Deer found on Earth moving about as a pack – harmlessly calling out to each other as they went. They glowed with a vibrant bioluminescence as they moved – and she found herself mesmerised by these peaceful animals. Birds could still be seen in the night sky – and in the distance, the lights of Phantom Dropships could be seen going to and throw – thick spotlights searching through where she assumed the wreckage of the prowler was now slumped. As she watched, she removed the magazine from her DMR, checked the rounds, and then placed it back in – thumbing the safety.
Some time passed, and eventually, Vorstock came up to take over on watch. The pair nodded to each other and Holt headed back down into the structure – where the other Marines were fast asleep. She slumped down in an exhausted heap and finally let the darkness wash over her as she fell into a restless, haunted sleep.
“Sarge – wake up! Sarge.” O’Neill shouted, shaking Holt’s shoulder.
Her eyes opened and took a moment to adjust to the light in the room. There was a hissing noise – and it took a moment for her to realise that it was static coming from a radio in O’Neill’s hand.
“A signal came through on the UNSC Emergency Band. No words but it sounds like someone is nearby.”
Holt sat up and looked at the Marines in front of her. O’Neill and Wisner were staring at her, eager-eyed, waiting to see what she wanted to do next. She weighed her options over in her mind. On the one hand, she could attempt to contact the signal source – but this may lead to their location becoming compromised, and that would mean they’d have to exfil in the hurry. On the other hand, if there was a UNSC force left in the area, then she might be able to spot a sign of their location if they were to climb out of the valley and recon the surrounding areas from one of the mountain tops nearby. She weighed up the pros and cons of both options. A four-man recon team wouldn’t be fantastic – so she’d have to leave some of the Marines behind. But it would also mean they had a secure location to return to if the signal was a trap. It seemed like the most logical option.
“Wisner – get Vorstock. We’re splitting up.”
A few moments later all four Marines were in the room together.
“The plan is simple. We’re going to split into two teams. O’Neill and I will head to one of the peaks of the local Mountain Ranges. I’ve got some binos and also the DMR – using them we’ll recon the local area and see if we can locate any UNSC forces who the signal may have originated from. Vorstock and Wisner – you’ll stay here. We’ll leave most of our equipment here so we can move quickly. If we find the source, we’ll come back and collect you. If not, we’ll come back, pack-up and we’ll get ready to move out on our own terms.”
“But didn’t you say this location wouldn’t be safe for long?” Wisner asked.
“It won’t.” Holt retorted. “But it’s secure for now, and this recon op won’t take long. We’ll get to the location, avoid the Banished, and be back before sundown. If we’re not, you move on without us.”
“Why me? Nat’s better at longer-range work?” O’Neill asked, with Nat nodding.
“Exactly – so she is the perfect person to help Wisner keep watch while we’re gone. That way we keep everyone safe.”
The Marines nodded – Holt seemingly having settled their concerns.
“Okay. O’Neill – grab your weapon. Let’s get moving.”
Wisner and Vorstock walked their comrades to the door and then watched as the two Marines gently sprinted away into the woodlands. Holt wasn’t sure what they were going to find – but if they kept moving in a North direction, she knew they would come to the mountain ranges she could see on the horizon, and from there they would be in a much better position to ascertain circumstances on the ring. Her and O’Neill slowed into a slow jog as they began to move through the woods. They made sure to keep a wide arc around the field they had come from – knowing that Banished would likely still be entrenched around the crash-site. It pained Holt to know that Cooper and Talbot’s bodies were probably in Banished possession – but there was nothing she could do about it now. As the recon team continued to move through the woodland, they occasionally herd the whoosh of a Banshee flying overhead. Now and then they could also hear the discharge of Banished Weaponry in the distance – followed by an eerie stillness. It was clear that their alien attackers were making their presence felt on the ring – but Holt was helpful that the UNSC reinforcements they were bound to find soon would help them to repel this small incursion and avenge the deaths of their friends.
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity of running, the two Marines emerged at the rocky outcrop of the lower end of one of the mountain ranges. The terrain became increasingly volatile and difficult to navigate – and the Marines had to sling their weapons on their backs to begin to scale the rockface. Eventually it became more vertical then horizontal, and the Marines took a moment to catch their breath – eating rations and drinking water.
“It’s damn high – and that terrain looks lethal. We’ll have to take our time.” Holt said.
“Hey, it was your idea in the first place Sarge.” O’Neill retorted. “By all means – lead the way.”
At the Forerunner structure which the Marines had temporarily occupied, Vorstock was pacing back and forth on the observation platform – her BR-55 in hand. She didn’t like that there were only four of them left on the ring – and she certainly didn’t like the fact that the Sergeant had decided to go and investigate this signal. They needed backup – but investigating something so strange was bound to be dangerous – and she wasn’t entirely convinced that it would have originated from a UNSC source. Still, Holt was left in charge, and she had to follow her orders – even if she did work better alone. She was deep in her own thoughts when a scream came from deep inside the compound. It took her a moment to realise that this had been Wisner. As quickly as she heard him, things feel silent – and she felt a chill run down her back. She checked her rifle and turned, moving back into the inner workings of the Forerunner structure. She raised her rifle and cleared the corners quickly until she came to the room where the Marines had hold up. Wisner lay on his back – and as she got closer, it became quite clear that the poor Marine was dead.
Something had sliced through his stomach – and it’s clear it had been hot and fast as it had left a near vertical bloody slit in his torso. She could see internal organs through the bloodied pulp and knew instinctively what had done this. An Energy Sword. A weapon favoured by the Sangheili– and a weapon which could kill in a single blow. She could see that Wisner’s Bulldog shotgun lay next to him – just out of arms reach. She found some small comfort in knowing he had tried to fight back at least. There was a click as something hit the floor behind her and she turned to see an empty corridor. But, as her sight adjusted, she realised something wasn’t right. In the middle of the corridor, the empty air almost appeared to be…simmering. She didn’t hesitate and fired three rounds in quick succession – impacting against the figure which stood there. At once there was an alien sound and two red blades quickly became visible – energy sizzling against the air as the hostile’s shields recharged and it’s outline disappeared once more. She fired once more but at this point the creature had lunged forward and plunged the sword deep into her stomach. She moaned in agony as the BR55 cluttered to the floor and she fell back against the floor.
She could feel her body becoming numb but she didn’t want to give up this easily. She’d be trained to take the enemy with her. She reached around to the back of her utility belt where a grenade was mounted and pulled it to her front – desperately attempting to thumb the safety off of the weapon despite the failing sense of feeling in her fingers. She was almost there when the feeling dropped away altogether – along with her hand and half of her forearm. She looked down – more in shock than any real horror – and saw the grenade and some of the bloody remains of her arm drop to the floor in a mess. She turned, mouth agape, beginning to gurgle on blood as her eyes began to force themselves closed. For a moment she saw a towering black figure with a red visor look down at her – almost in pity – and then everything went black.
Across the ring, O’Neill and Holt were blissfully aware of Vorstock and Wisner’s fates – with no way to contact their fallen Marines. As the duo reached the peak of the rockwork which they had spent some time climbing, they were able to get a view out across the Ring – showing them everything from the crash-site where the Prowler had come down, to further afield then they could see before. As they begun to take in the view, both of their faces dropped – and O’Neill’s usually charming demeanour dissolved entirely.
Waves of Banished vehicles could be seen across the ring – including Phantoms and Banshees patrolling the skies, and armour columns of Wraiths, Marauders and other vehicles picking their way through the fields. Foot soldiers could be seen everywhere – and large structures dotted on the horizon resembled old-school fortresses, with defensive walls, watch towers and other nasty-looking fortifications wrapped around them. On the hills and mountains in the distance large Banished structures could be seen reaching towards the skyline, too – including what appeared to be Barracks and also a string of Anti-Aircraft Canons set up in a defensive formation. Here and there the former remnants of UNSC forces could be seen – still smoking in some places. Old bases had been destroyed and vehicles abandoned. It was becoming painfully clear that the signal hadn’t heralded a last bastion of human resistance – but, rather, it had heralded the arrival of something much bleaker.
“This isn’t an incursion.” Holt said – now devoid of emotion. “It’s an Invasion.”
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Halo: Survival is a fan produced audio drama following Rhino Squad as they attempt a routine mission on behalf of the Office of Naval Intelligence. When things go sideways, the Marines find themselves stranded and must fight to survive.
Holt let out a strained cough as she lay against the cold metal floor. Her head was throbbing and she felt a sharp pain in one of her legs. She reached up against her head and ran a finger gingerly across her forehead. It was wet. She pulled the finger down in front of her eyes and saw the tell-tale sign of blood on her finger. Mustering her might, she pulled herself onto her side and looked across the medical bay. It was in a state. Sparks flickered intermittently from cables which now hung through jagged cracks in the roof and medical supplies were strewn everywhere. She crawled over to the medical cupboard and used it to pull herself onto her feet – looking at the medical table where Talbot had been lying. He was still there but he lay very still – his pale white skin interwoven with bloodied clumps where debris had hit him as it fell to the floor. She knew he was gone – but she had no idea about the others.
“Nat…are….are you alright?” She said – struggling to get the words out as pain ricocheted through a million points in her body.
She could hear flames deeper in the ship, and every now and then there was a horrific, ear-piercing shriek as something within the ship shifted deeper. It was clear they had come down hard and wherever they were, the Prowler wasn’t going to be much good now. Holt heard some movement to her side and instinctively reached to a holster on her thigh, raising a M6H Gunfighter Magnum and thumbing the safety.
“Chill boss – it’s me.” Vorstock said, shoving some medical supplies off of herself and pulling herself up.
“Are you alright?” Holt asked, holstering the pistol.
“I think so – my arm is killing. Might be dislocated.” She turned to look towards Talbot. “I don’t think he’s – “
Holt cut her off.
“It’s best not to dwell on it. Let’s find the rest of the squad and see if we can get out of here. Wisner and O’Neill are probably down in the hold – let’s go take a look and see if we can find them, and then we can head up to the bridge and get the captain.”
The red emergency lighting dimmed the inside of the vessel but slowly, the two Marines were able to make their way to the doorway which led into the hold. As they entered the doorway, Holt decided it would be best to disclose their presence encase the Marines inside were as twitchy as she was after the crash.
“O’Neill, Wisner – you in here Marines?”
“Yes Sarge – down ‘ere!” O’Neill shouted.
Holt and Vorstock made it deeper into the hold and it was clear that the crash hadn’t been kind to the vessel. Deep, jagged cuts were tore through the hull on the side – letting bright sunlight burn through into the ship. The two Warthogs which were parked neatly in the hold moments ago were now mangled and broken – buried under sharp pieces of metal which had collapsed from the ceiling and buried them. Supplies were strewn across the deck and a couple of small fires were burning in the far corner of the hold. In the far corner the hold had fallen away completely – revealing a few rocks and a grassy patch of ground which was now charred and burnt. More supplies were strewn across the ground below too. Holt turned and caught O’Neill and Wisner stood next to a metal ammunition container – loading up magazines with ammunition and then locking them in place on their chest rigs. They smiled as the two Marines walked over to them.
“It’s good to see you both.” Holt said, clasping O’Neill on the shoulder. “How are you both doing?”
“We’ve been better, but we’ll be alright.” Wisner replied. “Didn’t get too beaten up in the crash. A couple of bruises and scrapes but nothing major. How are you holding up, Sarge?”
Holt smiled gently, grimacing as her head throbbed.
“I’m a little worse for wear but I’ll manage.”
“There’s bio foam and medical supplies in the crate over there if you need it. How is everyone else doing?” O’Neill asked.
Holt looked down at the floor, and then back at the Marines, slight tears forming in her eyes.
“Thanks.” Holt said, swallowing as she prepared to break the news. “Talbot is dead. Must’ve succumbed to his injuries when we crashed.”
“Damn – I don’t know what to say. He was a good man.” Wisner said softly.
“Yeah.” O’Neill added. “It won’t be the same without him around. Should we get ready to bury him? Does anyone know who –“
Holt cut him off.
“Right now, we don’t have time to say proper goodbyes. That will have to wait. I need to go and check on the others. Get yourselves loaded up and get prepared to leave in five.”
Holt nodded to Vorstock, who joined her fellow Marines in loading their weapons, and then Holt turned and navigated the corridor to the bridge. Debris were strewn in the corridor and it had collapsed to one side giving it an un-balanced appearance which made it harder to navigate. Smoke billowed thickly from un-seen fires and a mixture of intense smells mingled in the atmosphere. Holt pushed through and came to the door for the bridge – which was jammed slightly open. She pushed her way through the door, and gasped at the sight which greeted her.
It was clear the Bridge had been hit heavily during the crash. It looked like the Prowler had upturned some of the trees in the woodland as it had crashed – and one of the trees had toppled and smashed through the canopy at the front, causing a lot of the hull of the vehicle to buckle and crumple under the impact. The consoles where the technicians had been sat looked as though they had imploded with how twisted and gnarled they were, and the bodies of the two crew members who had sat there were now warped and distorted as they were pressed in and amongst churned up debris. As Holt took everything in, her eyes fell on Cooper, who was sat against the back wall. His BDUs were bloodied and a large piece of metal had gone straight through his abdomen – with blood and other matter splattered across it. As she stared at him his head moved slightly and he locked eye contact with her.
“Ho…..lt.” He gasped.
She quickly moved down next to him, resting her hands on his shoulders as she took in the situation. She knew it wasn’t good and she wanted to comfort him but knew there wasn’t much she could do. Before she could say anything, he spoke again.
“It’s….OK. None of us know how things are going to end when we sign up. You’re….you’re in charge now.”
He slowly raised an arm to his neck and using his last morsel of strength he tore of his dog tags and placed them in her hands. He closed her fingers around his tags and locked eye contact with her.
“Look….after….them. I….I know….you…….” His sentence cut off as his body became limp and his head fell forwards.
Holt had to fight back tears as she clutched onto the dog tags. She took them and slung them around her own neck. She then stood up stiffly, wiped a tear from her cheek, and saluted.
“Goodbye, Captain.”
As Holt re-entered the hold, Wisner, O’Neill and Vorstock turned to look at her. No one said anything, but by the sombre look on her face, they all knew what had happened. They would also already be aware about the fact that UNSC chain-of-command now meant that she was in charge of what was left of Rhino Squad. Wisner slung an MA40 Assault Rifle on his back and reached onto a table – scooping up a DMR which he passed over the Sergeant. Vorstock and O’Neill were finishing loading a pair of BR55s, and Wisner grabbed a CQS48 Bulldog and some Shotgun shells for the weapon. The Bulldog was a rarely-seen drum-magazine shotgun which the UNSC had in their arsenal – and it would be perfect for clearing any close-quarters structures which the Marines may want to take shelter in. Once they were all loaded up they stood at attention and turned to face Holt. She sighed, and looked down at the dog tags around her neck. She held them in her fingers for a moment, and then looked at the Marines.
“The mission is over – but we’re not. You’re an exceptional group of Marines and I intend to see to it that you stay that way – and that means I am going to do everything in my power to keep you alive. We’re going to march out and look for somewhere with cover where we can setup a shelter for the night. Then, we’re going to attempt to establish whether there are any other Marines left alive on this ring. We’ll rally up survivors, take inventory, and work out the best way we can make the Banished pay and hold out for UNSC reinforcements. Are you with me Marines?”
“Ooorah!” Came the reply from all three Marines simultaneously, and together, the group began to make their way out of the crash site.
The Prowler had come down in a relatively clear field which was lucky for the Marines. Slowly, the soldiers began to pick their way across the field – checking their sectors as they proceeded to begin the long march towards some kind of shelter. As they approached the edge of the field, where a thick and dense forest of pine trees rose up towards the sky, they noticed a wide lake with mountains rising up behind it. The water was a rich and inviting emerald-green, and it’s waves gently lapped at the shoreline as they were caught in the breeze. In the distance some kind of animals could be heard grazing, and the sky was rich and alive with exotic birds which the Marines were pretty sure wouldn’t be found on other planets. As they proceeded to manoeuvre past the perimeter of the lake, the Marines paused for a moment to take a drink from their field canteens, and noted that a series of stone rings were erected in an interesting pattern in front of them. They paused and stared at them for a moment.
“What do you think they are for?” Wisner asked.
“Why not go touch it and find out.” O’Neill retorted.
Holt walked up to them and looked at them more intently. There were what appeared to be Forerunner engravings across them – but she couldn’t make out much more than that. Abruptly, however, the indistinguishable sound of a Phantom approaching made her turn and motion for the Marines to get into the woodland. The Phantom was a popular dropship used by the Covenant during the war, and it was now adopted by rogue factions like the Banished. Wherever there was a dropship like this, ground troops and armour would not be far behind.
“Let’s get some cover. It won’t be long before The Banished arrive at the crash site.” She ordered.
As the Marines continued into the woodland, they made sure to scan their vectors. The woods were thick and vast – but they weren’t too dis-similar to the large-scale redwoods which used to be present on Earth. It felt like they had stepped back in time, into a picturesque look at how Earth had been many years before the Human-Covenant War. As they continued to walk fur ther into the woodland, every now and then they would spot little creatures scurrying about – seemingly scared of them as they approached. They were small, quadrupedal animals with humped backs – and they almost appeared similar to animals which existed on Earth. O’Neill was the first one to notice.
“Hey, Wisner – what are the chances of a Halo Ring having Gophers on it?” He said with a laugh.
“They’re not Gophers you idiot – they’re too big.” Wisner retorted.
“Oh really?” O’Neill said smugly. “Well what are they then, genius?”
The Marines stopped their bickering as Holt held up a fist – motioning for them to hold. They had arrived at a clearing in the woodland – and there were larger animals grazing in the area. They appeared almost like Rhinos – only with longer, curved horns which rose up from their snouts, and also thickset and heavier skin adorning their necks. They seemed docile enough to Holt – but she wasn’t sure how they would react to the presence of humans on the Ring, and wasn’t convinced that she wanted to risk it.
“We need to go around.” She whispered.
The Marines picked their way past the animals and continued deeper into the woods. They encountered the small animals which O’Neill had referred to as Gophers occasionally, but beyond that, their journey was relatively quiet. They paused a couple of times to drink water or eat rations – setting up a secure perimeter every time they did – and eventually they crested a big ridgeline which marked the end of the woodland. They clambered up the ridge to the top and were greeted by the sight of a huge Forerunner structure which towered into the sky. The building appeared to have a lower enclosed section before it had a higher, exposed platform underneath what felt like a larger and smaller right angled triangle attached to each other. Blue energy span in a circular mechanism in the middle of the structure, and occasionally, the whole structure emitted a blue beam of energy high into the sky. Looking into the skyline – the Marines could see that other emitters were conveying similar signals across the ring as part of some un-seen ecosystem.
Holt pointed at the structure and smiled.
“I think we’ve found our shelter for the night.”
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