Location: Cairo Station, Earth Orbit
Date: October 20, 2552
Time: 06:45
The station's artificial gravity hummed beneath my feet as I moved through the halls, my pace quick and measured. The explosions from Athens Station still echoed in my ears, but there was no time to dwell on the loss. That same fate awaited Cairo Station if I didn't find and disarm the bomb.
"Cortana, track the source of the detonation signals," I ordered, my voice steady despite the tension gripping my chest.
"Already on it, Chief," she replied, her tone clipped. "It's coming from the fire control center. You'll need to move fast. If that bomb goes off, the station's MAC guns are done—and so is Earth's defense."
The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on my shoulders, but I pushed it down. No room for hesitation. No room for fear. I'd made my peace with who I was now. This was my mission, and I was going to see it through.
I took the elevator down to the fire control center, my rifle in hand. The tight confines of the elevator gave me a brief moment to reflect—not on Daniel Smith, but on everything I had faced as John-117. The endless battles, the impossible odds, and the weight of lives hanging in the balance. I'd accepted that this was my reality now. The man I used to be was gone, replaced by the soldier humanity needed. I was the Master Chief, and failure wasn't an option.
As the elevator doors opened, I stepped out into a corridor lit by flickering emergency lights. The bomb was close—Cortana had already pinpointed its location. But between me and that device stood an entire squad of Covenant Elites.
"Chief," Cortana warned, "there are several Elites guarding the bomb. You'll need to clear them out before we can disarm it."
I checked my rifle, the cool metal familiar in my hands. "Copy that."
The Elites were ready. As I moved toward the fire control room, I could hear their guttural commands and the distinct whine of energy swords powering up. They were expecting me, but that didn't change the plan.
I slid into the room, keeping low and out of sight. The first Elite was stationed near the bomb, dual-wielding plasma rifles. He hadn't seen me yet, giving me the upper hand. With a single, precise shot to his unshielded head, he dropped before he could react.
But now, they knew I was here.
A roar echoed through the room as the rest of the squad surged toward me, their shields shimmering in the dim light. I fired rapidly, each burst of my rifle chewing through their defenses. Plasma bolts screamed past me, forcing me to duck behind a pillar as I reloaded. My shields flared, absorbing the impact of a stray shot, but they held steady.
I moved swiftly, ducking and weaving through the chaos. An Elite Major charged me with an energy sword, but I sidestepped his swing, slamming the butt of my rifle into his face. His shield flickered, then collapsed, and I finished him off with a burst of fire.
The final Elite, a Sangheili Ultra, stood between me and the bomb. He was larger, faster, and more aggressive than the others. His plasma rifle spat fire in my direction as I moved, his aim precise. But I was faster.
I closed the distance between us, ducking under his shots and grabbing his arm. With a twist, I disarmed him, sending his plasma rifle clattering to the floor. His shields flared brightly, but I didn't give him a chance to recover. A single strike to his helmet and a barrage of bullets finished him off.
The room fell silent, the only sound the distant hum of Cairo Station's systems.
"Cortana, the bomb?" I asked, moving toward the device that was pulsing ominously in the center of the room.
Her holographic avatar flickered to life next to it, her expression serious. "We're cutting it close, Chief. Me, inside your head. Now."
I touched the pedestal beside the bomb, and Cortana's data streamed back into my helmet. With her help, I reached out and disarmed the bomb, the blinking red lights on its surface turning blue as the device powered down.
"How much time was left?" I asked, the tension in my body easing just slightly.
"You don't want to know," Cortana replied.
The moment of reprieve was brief.
"Cairo, this is In Amber Clad," Commander Miranda Keyes' voice came over the comms. "The carrier's shield is down. I'm in position and ready for immediate assault."
"Negative, Commander," Lord Hood's voice followed quickly. "Not against a ship that size. Not on your own."
I stood there, staring at the disarmed bomb, my mind racing. This battle wasn't over. Far from it. The Covenant had more than just bombs. They had the Solemn Penance, and it was poised to bring even greater destruction to Earth.
"Sir," I said, my voice calm but filled with purpose. "Permission to leave the station."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and I could hear Hood's hesitation.
"For what purpose, Master Chief?"
I glanced at the bomb, then back at the viewport where the massive Covenant assault carrier loomed over New Mombasa. "To give the Covenant back their bomb."
Hood paused for a second, and I could almost hear him smile.
"Permission granted."
I grabbed the bomb, its weight heavy in my hands, and began dragging it toward the launch bay. Cortana's voice crackled in my helmet, tinged with concern. "I know what you're thinking, and it's crazy."
"So stay here," I replied, keeping my eyes forward.
"Unfortunately for us both, I like crazy."
The elevator ride to the launch bay felt longer than it should have, each second ticking away in my mind. As the doors slid open, I found myself staring out into the vast expanse of space. The Covenant assault carrier was enormous, its shadow stretching over the Earth below.
This was it.
I dragged the bomb to the edge of the bay, my eyes fixed on the carrier's massive hull.
"Just one question," Cortana said as I prepared to launch myself into the void. "What if you miss?"
"I won't."
With a flick of my wrist, I released the bomb, launching it toward the Covenant ship. The bay doors opened wide, and I followed it, my body catapulting through the air into the cold vacuum of space.
As I hurtled toward the carrier, I felt a strange sense of calm. This was the moment where everything came together. John-117 was no longer just a name or a number. He was me. And I was ready for whatever came next.
The carrier loomed closer, its energy beams crackling as they tried to tear me apart. But I moved with purpose, weaving through the debris and explosions. The bomb was right where it needed to be—nestled deep within the heart of the ship's structure.
I activated it with a single touch.
The explosion was blinding, the shockwave sending me tumbling through space as the Covenant ship tore itself apart.
"Chief, get inside," Commander Keyes' voice came over the comms, her tone urgent. "We're taking this fight to the surface."
I looked down at Earth, the fires of battle already burning across its surface.