Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Sarah, use the external speakers and talk to him" said the Commander standing up from his kneeling position next to the Sergeant. He moved to the mouth of the cave, standing outside on the outcropping, letting the rain slam against his armor.

He looked like a god.

The operation had continued as planned, the forces of the 301st striker moving slowly but surely across the varied terrains that covered so much of the installation, or "Ark", as their alien allies referred to it. Lee had had to make do with what he had, about three quarters of the initial insertion force and a command cadre that consisted of himself, Lieutenant Seth, and the ever-persevering NCOs of the 301st. But now, for the first time since setting foot on the artificial ecosystem that covered the installation, the Captain felt relieved.

News of Karr's safe retrieval had come to his attention. A squad of marines apparently had joined up with a smaller group that had been pinned down during the initial rescue attempt. The CWO was now recuperating in what was passing for a field hospital established in a series of bunker-like buildings. Search teams and patrols spread from the base like spokes from a wheel's axle, and their position was guarded by three spotter-sniper duos.

Everyone was being brought here, to get ready for the next stage of the operation. Hopefully they would find out what happened to their commander, and what Major Lipton's boys had been ordered to do.

Pain. But not his own. He knew what pain felt like, but he was distinctly aware that the sensation he was experiencing was being broadcast from something else. The sensation was coursing through his neural implant. Reverberating through his skull and fighting its way to every extremity in his body. His eyes were open but he saw nothing. He heard everything though. Or rather, nothing. His vision slowly returned, though he wished it hadn't. Before him was a towering monolith of pure light. Its radiance outshone the sun itself. The monolith, the hologram, when it spoke the windows glowed and the ancient text scrolling up and down was illuminated. Its body took a more brilliant sheen and the world shook under its thunderous commands. But in the back of his mind, Lipton knew that only he was affected by the voice. Only he could hear it. He wrenched his head to the left, and saw his men frozen in time. The pelican, Vector Five-Five floated softly in the air, neither rising nor sinking. It was held aloft by a power not of human making. He knew he had felt a similar sensation before. In the Covenant grav-lifts. A slight tingling sensation. But this was something else. He could see the storms were still raging in the distance. And he knew something was very wrong. Or very right.

His gaze returned to the monolith, but it was not entirely of his own choosing. The monolith spoke and shook the ground. But the voice he heard was nothing but a whisper. And a gentle one at that. And it was then that he realised it was both a whisper and a scream, stern and gentile. A fractured being.

"What do you seek?"

When no answer came, he realised that his own voice was added to the confusion.

"Why have you come?"

In a sudden moment of clarity Lipton found his voice.

"I... I don't..."

"I am fractured. Broken."

"Wh-what?"

"The ingrate has allowed my return. But I must find that which was taken from me. There is not much time. My master knows of this place."

Lipton had no idea what was going on.

"Release us."

"There are things I cannot do without aid from beings such as yourself. Hear me and think on what I say."

"Do I have a choice?"

"In truth, no."

"Fine."

"I will relay only that which matters. I was destroyed once before, and forced to hide within the vessel which returned me to this place. I have realised my error, my misjudgement, and I wish to atone for my sins. But I cannot while in this fractured state. You will find the missing pieces. But there is little time. We must hurry."

"What? Missing pieces, what are you talking about?"

There was no answer. Instead a feeling of vertigo overcame him and the world flashed into darkness.

SSgt. Rosing was walking through the door when the major disappeared. He instantly raised his BR55HB-SR and scanned the corners. While he wasn't the highest ranking officer in this detachment, he did just see something really weird. The Helljumper paused and then backed outside of the structure. He wasn't going in there. Not yet.

The Commander turned and ducked back inside the dry cave, droplets of water dripping off his armor to the ground.

"He'll be fine; given less then a day and his body will be fine. Mentally though..."

Michael wasn't sure about it at all, "you did the right thing giving him SPARTAN medication. Nothing else could have saved him." Angel might have been right, but Winter would never be the same.

"It's a side effect. The part of his brain that controls his reflexes will become more developed, along with his central nervous system allowing him to deal with pain." Angel knew most of it, so she answered knowing that this A.I. was merely a Sister to her. Hammer sat on a rock next to Winter.

"So in short thing's are going to seem slower than before, and the effect that has on him might be devastating, to say the least." Michael flexed his hands, cracking the joints. Each genetically enhanced fiber of his being was aching to fight, but this fever was something only Winter could tackle.

Sarah seemed concerned. A momentary stare, like a caring sister upon the sleeping figure. Within the dark, damp, and cool area of this cave humidity floated in with moisture. The figure winced, eyes cracking open then closed. Sleep coming and drifting away. The soldiers mind was no in tact. In fact there was no thought going through his head. The body was fighting its best. Leaving unneeded thoughts for later.

"Interesting." The AI answered to its fellow. An interesting A.I. smarter in other areas. Such as Spartans and information. Curiosity gripped at her wanting to figure her 'humanity' how they were different and how they were the same. Yet she knew that wasn't so smart. The A.I. held a high position as a Spartans.. What? It was hard to pin a word to it. Yet that meant this Angel was no simple A.I.

Now the world would be different for him. A slower world not so fast. Reactions would have to change. Winter's mind already tried to slow the world down in the form of adrenaline and abilities honed to a normal humans ability. Yet she believed Winter not a simple human but different from the rest.

"Hopefully he'll cope." Sarah reassured herself and the captain. Perhaps the A.I. to. It was her caring form. Not wanting to put any doubt into her soldier. "I'll hopefully be able to find some useful information in my files. If this works properly Winter won't have much time to take it easy. I'm glad Commander that he'll be with you. You'll be able to help him more then I. I think."

The A.I. turned, a figure stood before them. Where did this one came from? Her senses told her something strange..

"Soldier?"

Lipton sat down and pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"I... I dunno sir. One minute I was in a Forerunner structure under Commander Keyes' orders, and now I'm here."

He shook his head slightly and wore a bewildered face.

"I think... I think you're supposed to help me with something sir. I don't know what. There was a giant hologram in the structure. It... it spoke to me. It told me that it was incomplete. That it needed help, my help, our help to become complete again. It wants to atone for its sins. Whatever that means. Do you have any idea what's going on sir?"