Within the sterile white confines of the labs hold all the equipment neccesary to make a kid a Spartan. Its also where the latest in Spartan tech is developed from armor and weapons all the way to special Spartan only vehicles. This area also doubled as the medical area since the rooms were already required to be sterile.

---

Several weeks had passed since the awful shore leave trial and nothing exciting had happened, much to the dismay of the Spartans stationed here. It seemed like they were on the verge of starting their own little war for some action when the announcement went out.

"Spartans 283 and 369 report to Spartan Command for mission assignment and briefing."

Spook lifted her head from her work and listened to the broadcast. At least Shaft and Scorp had something to do in this down time. Presently; to the chagrin of the technicians, she was tinkering with her armor. But it was her armor and she had to wear it, even though it and she belonged to the UNSC, if anyone was going to make adjustments to it it was going to be her. The active camo plates hadn't been responding quite as well as she liked and she found that her power cell needed replacing. It wasn't so bad, the thing had lasted her nearly five years and these newfangled ones promised a life of nearly twice that. 

There were several techs hovering around Spook to make sure that she wasnt going to tear her armor up since they would be blamed for it. They did their best to act nonchalant, except for one that was openly staring and would at certain moments gasp and go to stop her or correct her when she went to mess with something. Usually that tech would stop themselves and resort to biting their fingernails.

Spook would sigh or role her eyes when they got too close, but the hovering was suffocating. Finally she snapped. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" She shouted, rounding on the tech with the dramatically short fingernails with a wrench held aloft in her hand. She wouldn't strike him with it, but she could damn well make him think she would.

The tech froze mid-bite and stared at the wrench for a few seconds before moving off silently to work on something else.

Spook stifled a smile at his expression and went back to work for a few moments. After a few moments she couldn't help but feel as if she'd been a bit harsh with him. Still, she didn't feel as smothered any more.

"Spartan - 313 report to Spartan Command for mission assignment and briefing.

"Shit..." Spook cursed and with a great quickness finished her work and slipped into her armor. She could move much more fluidly now and left the labs at a run since she'd put herself behind by having to finish up on her armor. She wasn't about to step into command without her armor. She'd look unprepared.

---

Scorch kicked open the door and walked to a table, dropping the ruby armor atop it. "Brought you boys a present."

The techs all stopped what they were doing and stared at the armor in awe. "What is that?" one asked as he poked it, experimentally, with his finger.

"I'd call it the new threat. I don't think it's active anymore, but that's really your department, isn't it?" Scorch told them with a shrug. "Just try not to kill each other."

The techs descended upon the armor like scavengers to a carcass, each wanting to look at the new tech. The biggest topic of discussion was whether or not to cut it apart for a better look.

Stitch simply lent against the wall as he looked on at the techs, almost jealous of their expertise. What they'd find was anyone's guess, but at least he'd be there when they did, he hoped.

Scorch reached into the mass of techs and grabbed a hold of the helmet from the armor. "One condition to ya'll getting this." He plucked the head off the body and stood back from them. "I keep this."

Stitch chuckled at Scorch's remark. "Heh, people and their trophies." He wagged a finger in a mock-patronizing way. "For shame!" The Spartan then chuckled some more.

"Not a trophy, a tribute." Scorch told him sternly. "To a worth opponent." He held up the helmet in mock salute.

"Well...at least let us study it before you mount it on your wall." Said a female scientist who looked to be one of the ones in charge.

"You have the whole body to study. From what I can tell, it was controlled from somewhere in the chest, not the head." Scorch pointed out, holding the helmet tightly. "Besides, I'm not going to mount it to my wall."

The scientist lady looked at Scorch with a challenging look. "Did it speak? Do you know how it sees? How it eats? We need the head to determine all sorts of things. If it helps I promise not to dismantle it."

"And how long would you be keeping it?" Scorch asked her sharply. "It spoke, and it saw every motion that I made. I doubt that it eats in this form. This is merely the shell." He answered each of her questions and looked at the helmet longingly, before reluctantly handing it over. "Not a scratch."

"None more then is already on it." she said as she took the head and laid it on a small padded specimen bed. "And I don't know for how long, hopefully not long."

"You better not break it." Scorch warned before turning to look at Stitch, "The Admiral is expecting us..."

Stitch had just been watching as the lab techs and Scorch were semi-arguing back and forth, before realizing. "Ahh, I'd imagine you might want to test this as well." He opened a compartment in his arm, and revealed where he had placed the scorch alien 'blood'. "I apologize, it is slightly damaged, but it should be helpful." Handing it as best he could to one of the techs, he turned to Scorch. "Ah, of course. After you." He waved his hand at the door.

Scorch nodded and lead the way to Spartan Command, without the armor to hinder him, he was able to move with greater speed; a simple fact that the Admiral should have no problem appreciating.

---

Some time later Spook came in wearing bdu's and carrying her armor. her new power cell had caused her some issues during the mission and she needed to check it out. She had a blood sample from one of the aliens any way and dropped it off with the tech who had taken Stitch's samples. When she was done with that she returned to the corner they had given her earlier. She grimaced at the scuff marks in her paint job and decided to get it painted once she was done fiddling with her power cell.

Scorch followed after Spook shortly. He walked straight over to the techs he had left with the armor. "Well? Have you finished with my tribute yet?"

Still in his armour, Stitch looked in. "Any news?"

Only one scientist raised their heads at Scorch, and Stitch's questions and it was the lead scientist. "No, some progress but nothing substantial. Now go, before I dissect you to see how you can operate with such a small brain!"

There was a knock on the door, but it didn't slide open. It just waited for someone to answer it, which was strange, considering many people didn't wait to come into this place. There was no privacy. Tavish stood beyond the door, 'Bubs' in hand, waiting for someone to let him in.

There was a loud and audible sigh from the same scientist, "Can one of you two get that!?"

Spook looked up with the tech insulted her teammates. He'd been a bit snippy with her when she were in here earlier. Her eyes narrowed but she didn't say anything.

Scorch grumbled and opened the door. He saw Shaft and sighed, "You bagged one too?"

"What do you mean 'one too'?" Tavish said, his face falling as he wriggled his half of Bubs in the air, this rather spoiled his mood "Have you lot been having fun without me?" He walked forward into the room, holding the half of an armor up "It was alive, but seemed to either die of it's injuries or just decide to become pathetic."

Spook lifted her head when she heard Shaft's voice. For some reason she felt the concussion of that plazzy exploding against her back and the split second panic as she had wondered if she'd not survived the blast. That Mega Pope could have easily have killed her... Wait... why was she thinking of this now? Nope, forget it Spook. she told herself. She had to work on her armor, she had to clean Baby and Lil Buddy. She didn't have time to imagine things like past "What if's."

One of the scientists heard the conversation and looked up. When he saw the new armor he nudged a few others who went over to analyze and acquire the new specimen.

"It was alive when I dragged it onto the ship! So careful!" Tavish yelled after the lab techs as they took the armor away "And his name is Bubs!" HE grinned beneath the helmet, which he'd left on... strange, her preferred to wonder around out of armor usually.

"I mean Spook took one of those guys out on our mission, and I brought a Ruby armored one home." Scorch told him

"Yeah, we sort of... well I'm not sure if I can talk about it. Simply put, there were a lot more where that came from. And he was a damn good fighter" Tavish was trying not to say "a ruby? That was the first one we tore to bits" because it would probably annoy them..

Seeing the odd Spartan, Stitch decided it would be appropriate to introduce himself, especially seeing what he had carried, and what he had said. Stitch put his hand out, ready for a handshake. "Hi. Stitch, nice to meet you. Did you say it was alive on the ship? Did you kill it?" He looked at Scorch, hoping he was on the same wavelength.

Tavish seemed to look at Stitch for a long time before sticking his hand out and shaking the medic's "Tavish. Callsign's Drive Shaft. Most call me Shaft." He nodded back towards the way Bubs had gone "I kept trying to take it alive but the boss blew it's legs off. I hauled it on board and it went real quiet. Either it died, leaked out or it's being patient. I told them it was alive so they should be treating it with caution."

Spook peered around her armor to get a look at the thing shaft had brought. For a moment there it sounded like the beginnings of a dick measuring contest. She decided to stay out of it. She knew her's was bigger any way... well, the one she had killed that was.

Scorch saw where Stitch was headed with it. "You brought it back alive?" He looked at Shaft, completely dumbfounded. It's legs may have been blown off, but they had a perfectly functional Ruby armor sitting within reaching distance.

"Maybe. It might be dead. Make sure you guard it!" Tavish called over to the lab techs who'd taken it away. "Nasty buggers aren't they? Met this huge diamond one as well. Took two of us to take it down, tossed us around like rag dolls."

The scientists headed Tavish's warning and put it into a containment unit for monitoring and safe study. "You all, should go ahead and go now." The lead said as she walked over to them, "We are going to need to be fully focused on what we are doing here."

And so did Spook she turned her attention away from the others and back to her armor. She finally managed to pop out the power cell and turned sideways on the bench to figure out why this supposedly better piece of technology had caused her issues during their last mission.

"If you tech-heads don't mind, I'll be sticking around. Thank you very much." Scorch told them sternly. His hand felt naked without a weapon in it, but he felt confident that a legless enemy wasn't going to be very fast moving. "I will stay out of your way, but for you and your fathers' sakes, I believe I shall stay."

"Well... ok, but now I've got to go see the commander, they probably want to talk about all that... suicide stuff I tried on the mission. Toodle pip" Tavish waved a hand, turning around and walking back out the door, he was sure the techs could handle a half dead suit of armour.

Spook was trying not to pay attention, but when someone said something like "Toodle pip." you took notice. Was it just her or was he a bit off today? She'd done her best to steer clear of him, but he'd probably started acting off sometime around the fiasco to New Tokyo.

Noticing that, as Tavish left, not much of a response was given to his behaviour, Stitch was suddenly unsure of his surroundings. "Should someone go off with him, to make sure he doesn't do anything...odd?" As it was, he was sort of gravitating to and from places, this place was just so..big. He didn't know where he fit in this giant puzzle.

Spook popped the power-cell's casing off and tried not to feel responsible for Shaft. She'd spent all this time pretending to not know who he was when she probably knew him better than anyone. It would look a bit odd if she suddenly stood up and said she'd do it. She tried to ignore that nagging feeling in her gut as she investigated her power cell.

Suddenly, the fire alarms began to blare all over the facility. A calm feminine voice came over the speakers in between appropriately space alarm screams, "Please make for the nearest exit and follow evacuation plan Foxtrot and proceed to the hangar."

---

"Quarantine?! That's what all that frellin water was about??" Scorch shouted at Liddia, it wasn't like it was her fault, but he was steamed up.

The still standing marine walked in and gave a quick search around to make sure that nothing was waiting, while Liddia walked in with Scorch. "No, that water was about the armor in command of the utilities of the base. The quarantine was because the armor and the goo escaped."

Spook came in behind them carrying the wounded marine. She deposited him on a nearby table and removed her helmet so they could get to work on reconfiguring her VISR mode.

"Grab him and take him over to the medical table. Hit the green triangle and it should do the rest." Liddia said as she moved over to the main console and started punching in a series of codes. "This should isolate us from the main network and keep the gooey bastard from interfering. I may even be able to take a few systems back and tuck them away."

At that point, a call came through Spook's comms, from Stitch. [Spook...Liddia...you?...ask her...password...I going in blind?]

"Let the machine do it." Spook said laying the marine out on the table. "We gotta reconfigure my VISR, we can't let them go in blind. You said you have the goo's energy signature?" She asked Liddia.

The uninjured Marine moved back as Spook took over his friends medical attention. Liddia didn't answer her right away, "I don't have the goo's energy signature, but we do have the armor's that we can isolate and add to your VISR mode so that it will automatically alert you when you encounter one or one like it."

"That's what I said." Spook said, even though it wasn't what she'd said. It had been the plan all along after all. "Just do it and quickly."

Liddia turn her head to look at her, "It isn't like fixing a dehydrated meal, it's going to take a little bit for me to dig the required data out of the system and then reformat it into something your VISR will understand and then it can be transfered into your helmet's system. That is all after I finish getting us isolated, the armor has realized what I am doing and is trying to counter all my moves." She focused back on the computer before continuing, "The time that it has taken me to explain that to you he has already broken through 14 of my firewalls and blocks."

"Well stop explaining things." Spook told her. "And you'll find my VISR system isn't have as problematic as you make it out to be. Upload your update to this." She popped a jack from her helmet and handed it to Liddia. Not all of her past missions had been target assassinations. More than once she'd been dispatched to gather information. She often carried an extra data store. "If you can get your stuff on that chip we're set. My helmet will download the program on it's own."

"Damn he's good." Lidda muttered as she reached out with her hand to grab the jack and quickly popped it into an adjoining console. "There, that ought to keep him out." She said before moving over to the terminal she just jacked Spook's helmet into. "Ok, got the data. Doing the conversion now."

"Just don't crash my hardware." Spook warned. "I've no intention of going anywhere blind."

Scorch looked at the wounded marine. He wasn't the team medic and he surely wasn't capable of assisting in healing any wounds. But he shrugged and walked over to the two of them. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Yea, help me get hims laid out and strapped in." The Marine said, glad to have some help to get his friend worked on.

"I won't crash your hardware." Liddia said, before adding under her breath, "At least not on purpose." Soon after a progress bar appeared on the screen and showed that the data was being transferred.

"Just tell me what to do." Scorch told him, moving to the Marine's buddy and hefting him up onto a table.

"Ok, um...put his wrists into those clamps while I get his ankles. Then I think we hit the button and let the system take over from there." the guy said, obviously nervous.

"You ever use this thing before?" Scorch asked him warily as he strapped the Marine's wrists into the table's clamps.

"No, usually there is a doctor around." The Marine said as he finished the straps around the ankles, "But Liddia there said that it is as simple as pushing that big button there."

"And I won't purposely break your nose if you do." Spook told Liddia.

"Alright then." Scorch replied, glad it wasn't him that was needing medical attention right now.

The computer finally finished the transfer and Liddia unhooked the helmet and handed it back to Spook. "There, make sure your VISR mode is still working."

The Marine made sure that everything was set before moving over and pressing the start button. The machine instantly came to life and started working on the wounded Marine.

Spook took her helmet, slid the jack in and waited. "Rebooting." She told Liddia then after a moment of final restarting she held up a finger. "I think it's working..."

Liddia let out a small sigh of relief at Spook's reassurance. She looked over to see if the machine was working properly on the Marine. "Let me know if there is anything wrong with the machine."

"Doesn't look like it for the moment." Scorch told Liddia with a shrug. So far it was running perfectly fine.

The marine nodded as the machine isolated the problem, as obvious as it was, and set itself into surgery mode. Luckily for them this machine was designed to be entirely autonomous and didn't require any outside help. It was made for almost this exact situation.

"Good, now we just have to see how it holds up when your actually near one of those things." Liddia said as she checked a few more computers around the lab. "Now, what is our plan from here?" she asked.

"As soon as I find him we tell the rest of the boys and plan an attack strategy." Spook told her as she searched the base.

(I honestly can't remember the plan after that)

"Ok, what are we going to go about the injured Marine?" Liddia asked since it was clear that they wouldn't be able to move him or leave him by himself.

"If you can do without me I can stay here with him." The other Marine said as the machine carefully removed the pipe shrapnel from the injured man's shoulder.

"Scorch, with me." Spook told him and headed for the door.

Scorch nodded to the Marine and then turned and headed for the door. "You got a plan?" He asked Spook as he came up to her

"The boys are in the armory (right?) and I've got eyes on our guy." Spook told him. "You need weapons and I could do with some ammo after the ordeal in the hangar."

"I'm going to stay here too and make sure he doesn't get back into this system." Liddia said, going back to her console. "I might also be able to shut him out of other systems to make your trip better."

"So they're getting our weapons for us, and we're meeting them there?" Scorch asked her

"Sounds like a plan to me." Spook said heading for the door. There was no need to tell Liddia to bar the door, she was smart enough to figure that out on her own.

"Lead the way boss." Scorch told her, gesturing ahead of them

Spook put her shoulder to the door and left in search of the armory.

---

Halo C.E. RPG
- Spartan Labs Archive1