Part 01: Well Enough Alone

(Opening cinematic-Camera flies over a group of Jackals and Grunts running through a swamp, panicky and obviously in retreat. As it pans over them, you see through the fog and rain the outline of a dropship, which further materializes as the camera draws closer)

FOE HAMMER:

The last transmission from the Captain's dropship was from this area. That was over twelve hours ago. When you locate Captain Keyes, radio in, and I'll come pick you up.

(In certain parts of the level, you can hear a radio transmission coming from a crashed human dropship and a Covenant communications terminal. As it repeats, it seems that this is some sort of distress beacon. Static pervades the transmission, and the signal fades in and out of clarity)

UNKNOWN HUMAN MALE VOICE:

Dropship victor 93-(static)-the Pillar of Autumn-(static)-eed assistance. We are under att-(static)-attack by some new kind of-(static)-it isn't Covenant. (Static) Captain Keyes has been captured by hostiles. (static) -dug in at a large structure in a swampy area. We need to pull out. Please-(static)-I will set this message to repeat at-(static)-given interval. Dropship victor 933, clear.

(After passing through several large rooms and many smaller ones inside the structure, as you come into an area blasted with gunfire and scorch marks. A lone Marine sits leaning against a wall, pistol pointed at you. He shoots at you if you come too close, while screaming at the top of his lungs the following phrases. He also fiddles around with his pistol a lot, checking to see if the clip is full [special thanks to Have Blue for his help right here])

MARINE GS1:

1. Stay back! Stay back, you're not turning me into one of those things!
2. I'll blow your brains out! Get away from me!
3. Gaaaaahh! Aaaaaahh! Don't touch me, you freaks, I won't be like you, I'll die first!
4. Find your own hiding place, the monsters are everywhere!
5. Play dead! That's what I did... played dead. They took the live ones... oh, God, I can still hear them!
6. <Sob> Monsters...
7. Ahhhhhh! Ahhhhaaahhh! Aaaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaa!
8. Just leave me alone!
9. Sarge? Mendoza? Bisenti? Oh, God... the things took them... <mumbles and cries> They're gone! Get it? Gone!
10. They won't get me! Oh God... oh God I don't want to be like them, please, please no, nooo...

(As you come down one of two ramps on either side of a door which has been locked down with some sort of keypad-cinematic)

(The Master Chief approaches the door cautiously. At a noise, he turns around, gun ready to blow away anything around him. After a moment, he turns back to the door, places his gun on his shoulder, and opens the door. When it opens, a dead Marine, presumably Mendoza, falls into his arms. The Chief advances a few paces, places the body on the floor gently, and sweeps his assault rifle about the room. He notices a helmet lying on the floor, and, crouching, moves swiftly towards it. Once he's there, he surveys the room one more time, places his rifle on the floor, and picks up the helmet. There is a large, jagged hole punched through the top of it. The Master Chief shakes his head, and removes a chip from inside the helmet, near the HID, and inserts the chip into a socket in his helmet)

Open Record View (#'s)
Pvt. Jenkins, Wallace A.
>Play>

(Helmet cam view. A Marine (Jenkins) looks around the inside of a dropship. There are several other Marines in the dropship with him. Loud rock music blares over the cabin speakers)

MENDOZA:

Why do we always have to listen to this old stuff, Sarge?

SARGE:

Watch your mouth, son. This "stuff" is your history. It should remind you grunts what we're fightin' to protect.

MENDOZA:

Hey... if the Covenant wanna wipe out this particular part of my history, that's fine by me.

BISENTI:

Yeah... better it than us.

SARGE:

You ask 'em REAL nice next time you see 'em Bisenti. I'm sure they'll be happy to oblige.

DROPSHIP PILOT GS1:

LZ looks clear! I'm bringing us down!

SARGE:

Go go go!

>FFW>>

>PLAY>

(The squad advances through the swamp towards the same structure you are in now)

SARGE:

Stay close Jenkins!

(They reach the entrance and sweep their weapons across it, wary)

SARGE:

Mendoza! Move it up!

(Mendoza advances in a crouch, gun at the ready)

SARGE:

(To Jenkins) Wait here for the Captain and his squad, then get your ass inside.

JENKINS:

Sir!

SARGE:

Okay, let's move!

>FFW>>

>PLAY>

(The squad stands around a dead Elite. Its stomach is torn open)

MENDOZA:

-which is weird, right? I mean... look at it. Something... scrambled the insides.

SARGE:

What's that? Plasma scoring?

MENDOZA:

Yea... I dunno. Maybe there was an accident. You know, friendly fire or something?

(Captain Keyes approaches the squad)

KEYES:

What do we have, Sergeant?

SARGE:

Looks like a Covenant patrol. Badass elite units, all KIA.

KEYES:

Real pretty. Friend of yours?

MENDOZA:

Naw, we just met.

>FFW>>

>Play>

(The squad, along with Keyes and his own squad, stand around a locked door-the one you have just come through)

KEYES:

Right. Let's get this door open.

MENDOZA:

I'll try Sir. But it looks like these Covenant worked pretty hard to lock it down.

KEYES:

Just do it, son.

MENDOZA:

Yes, Sir.

(Mendoza removes a device with a keypad on it from his pocket and sticks it to the door. He punches a few keys, and the door opens. He waves the squad through. Jenkins takes point through the door, and the rest of the squad fans out around him)

BISENTI:

I got a bad feeling about this...

SARGE:

Boy, you always got a bad feelin' about SOMETHIN'.

MARINE GS2:

(Over radio) Captain, Sarge... can you hear me?!

KEYES:

What's going on, soldier?

MARINE GS2:

We've got contacts...lots of them...but they're not covenant...they're just tearing through us...what the!...ooooohhh...nooooo!!

SARGE:

Corporal? Do you copy, over? (No response) Mendoza, get your ass back up to Second Squad's position, and find out what the hell is goin' on.

MENDOZA:

But, Si-

SARGE:

I don't have time for your lip, soldier! I gave you an order.

MENDOZA:

Sarge! Listen!

(An odd hissing noise grows louder and louder)

BISENTI:

What is THAT?

SARGE:

Where's that comin' from, Mendoza?

MENDOZA:

Everywhere... I don't-there! Mira!

(Mendoza points to a nearby door, which has just exploded outwards. Small squid-like creatures pour from it)

BISENTI:

Ahh... augh! Get it off!

(Bisenti lies on the ground, one of the squid-like creatures attached to his face)

MENDOZA:

Hold still, hold still!

SARGE:

Let 'em have it!

(The Marines open fire, to little effect)

KEYES:

Sergeant, we're surrounded!

SARGE:

GodDAMMIT Jenkins, fire your weapon!

JENKINS:

There are too many, Sarge!

SARGE:

Don't even think about it, Marine!

MENDOZA:

Yo this is loco!

KEYES:

Get back here, Marine! That's an order!

SARGE:

Jenkins!

(Squid-things attack Jenkins and block his helmet cam. After a moment he falls over, and the screen blacks out. After another moment, words flash in red)

>Unexpected Halt X (WND/INCAP/KIA/#'s)

>End Record View (#'s)

(The Chief removes the chip from his helmet, shakes his head, and tosses it to the ground. He stands quickly, gun ready)

Part 02: The Flood

(As you reach the final elevator and rise to an exit from the structure)

FOE HAMMER:

This is Echo 419. Chief, is that you? I lost your signal when you disappeared inside the structure. What's going on down there? I'm tracking movement all over the place!

PVT. CHIPS DUBBO:

Sir! Thank God you're here! We've been lost out here for hours. After we lost contact with the rest of the mission, we headed for the RV point, and then these-these. these things... they ambushed us. We've gotta get out of here!

FOE HAMMER:

There's a large tower a few hundred meters from your current position. Find a way above the fog and foliage canopy and I can move in and pick you up.

(As you come near the tower Foe Hammer was speaking of, an odd blue object and a flotilla of floating robots descends from the mist. The robots begin to slice away at any nearby Flood, avoiding your Marines. After a few minutes of fighting around the base of the tower, you suddenly find yourself enveloped in a bright gold light, and then appear on top of one of the legs of the tower. The blue object hovers in front of you)

343 GUILTY SPARK:

Greetings. I am the Monitor of installation 04. I am 343 Guilty Spark. Someone has released the Flood. My function is to prevent it from leaving this installation. But I require your assistance. Come. This way.

(You vanish in another series of amber flashes)

FOE HAMMER:

Chief, I've lost your signal! Where'd you go? Chief? Chief