Cyberpunk: Spartan Walker

Chapter 96 Falling into the Halo ([-])

Combat deployment time: +00 hours, 01 minutes and 23 seconds (Colonel Price’s mission clock)
A Covenant lifeboat with an unknown number made an emergency landing on the surface of the Halo.

With a muffled sound of "rumbling" in his ears, Tommy sat in the driver's seat of the escape cabin that was constantly shaking. Through the observation window, he saw that the edge of the escape cabin was constantly bursting with flames formed by friction with the air, and the halo was heading towards them. Open your arms.

Ellie's flying skills are very exquisite. She piloted the escape capsule and flew over the thick silver edge of the halo. She carefully lowered the miniature escape capsule slightly, entered the calculated route, and landed on the amazing surface inside the structure "below" .

Tommy looked around and saw mountains, hills, and the earth extending upwards in a curve, disappearing in the distance, and finally connecting into a complete circle somewhere above his head.The scene in front of us is both magnificent and strange, and at the same time everything is so confusing - what kind of civilization can create such a facility?What impact will it have on this almost-failed war?

These two questions are important, but they are not the most important ones at hand.

Tommy withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and looked at the holographic panel in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and then asked: "Can we contact the UNSC troops on the ground now?"

"You hesitated because you were afraid that I would go crazy again, right?" Ellie's slender holographic image appeared on the holographic image display table installed between the pilot's and system operator's seats.She crossed her hands on her chest, with a hint of sullenness on her delicate face, "That 'I' has been deleted. I promise she won't jump out and cause trouble again."

"Sorry, Ellie," he said sincerely.

The artificial intelligence sighed imperceptibly, "After landing for a few more seconds, we should be able to contact you when the height is right." She said, "But I don't recommend you do this."

Tommy tilted his head to express his confusion.

"You should keep your communications silent for now," she explained. "Don't forget that the Covenant may still be hunting us."

"Well, that's true." Tommy shrugged, "But we can't land randomly like headless flies. If we are too far away from the UNSC troops on the surface of the halo, we may be wiped out by the Covenant before we can get support. .”

"That's what I'm saying," she smiled at Tommy. "I received an encrypted UNSC lifeboat crash signal with rescue priority A. I just finished deciphering it and can get there first."

A-level rescue priority?This signal was usually sent by lifeboats on important missions or from the bridge, and Tommy couldn't help but wonder what troop crashed in this ring.

A navigation point popped up on Tommy's heads-up display, pointing to where the plains met the hills.

"This is their landing point, a very smart choice, a large canyon on the edge of hills." Ellie said, "Unless you look down from directly above, the lifeboat parked there will not be noticed by anyone."

"Just do as you say, otherwise we will have nowhere to go."

Her holographic image moved for a moment, and then the flow of logical symbols on her body suddenly accelerated. "I just intercepted a highly encrypted pulse letter," Ellie said with a frown. "I'm sure the encryption method came from a UNSC artificial intelligence, but his encryption ability is too strong. I need some time to decipher.”

Tommy opened his mouth to say something, but the escape cabin suddenly turned a corner and turned upside down.Tommy, who had his head pressed against the light that should have been above his head, reacted quickly. Through the observation window, he saw two consecutive plasma beams sweeping across the edge of the escape cabin.

"Report!" shouted Tommy.

"The Covenant discovered us! They sent a team of Banshee fighter jets to intercept us!" Ellie shouted through the speaker in the escape pod. "If we don't find a way to deal with them, landing safely is just wishful thinking!"

Although the escape capsule can turn in the air, it is not equipped with weapons, which means that they are looking for death just sitting in the escape capsule.

Tommy quickly stood up and opened the door that separated the cockpit and crew compartment, and looked at the four people sitting on the seats, "What other heavy weapons do you have on hand?"

Rebecca knocked on her helmet, raised the M41 rocket launcher on her lap and shook it.

"Sir, what are you going to do?" Taote picked up the SRS99 sniper rifle beside him.

Tommy looked through the glass at the rear of the escape cabin at the group of Banshee fighter jets that were approaching from a distance, and an idea slowly took shape in his mind. "I'm going to snatch a Banshee fighter jet."

"At an altitude of 3000 meters?!" Aurora exclaimed, as unbelievable as if she was asked to destroy the Scarab with a fragmentation grenade.

Tommy quickly walked to the rear of the escape cabin and observed the group of Banshee fighters following behind.He focused his gaze, locked onto a Banshee fighter at a suitable angle and position, and uploaded it to the heads-up displays of the other four.

"Becca, help me knock out the Banshee fighters around the target."

"It's a piece of cake." Rebecca gave him a thumbs up.

Tommy reached out to Cecilia and said, "Give me a little C-7 foam explosive enough to make a small hole in the fighter's shell."

"You can have as much as you want, boss." Cecililia quickly took out a small piece of explosive from his breast pocket. Just as he was about to hand it to Tommy, a roll maneuver of the escape cabin caused the explosive to be released and suspended in the air. in the air.

Tommy used the magnetic strips on the bottom of his boots to attach the escape pod and grab the explosives.

The edge of the escape cabin was hit, it shook violently, and then a small crack opened on one side with a "bang" sound, and the air in the cabin suddenly escaped.

Ellie raised the two stubby flaps of the escape capsule, and then activated the propeller at the tail of the capsule. The angle between the head of the escape capsule and the vertical line on the ground became smaller, and the falling speed immediately accelerated to temporarily escape from the Banshee fighter. The group's pursuit.

The air in the escape cabin quickly became thinner, Tommy felt dizzy, and more and more carbon dioxide accumulated in the helmet.

The respirator light came on on the heads-up display, and he felt the dizziness recede as fresh air rushed into the tight lining.The power armor seems to know what he's thinking before he acts, and although this is a bit weird, these features allow him to not be distracted from managing the armor system when he has more important things to deal with.

"Activate your regenerative rebreathers," Tommy reminded. "Ellie, prepare to slow down your descent."

ODST's full-coverage combat armor can provide oxygen for 15 minutes in a vacuum environment. This has not changed in more than 20 years.

Tommy stared closely at the group of fighters chasing after him, his knees slightly bent, looking for an opportunity.

Time passes by "tick tock".

"Now, open the hatch!" he shouted as he took off.

The flaps of the escape capsule suddenly lowered, and Ellie started the reverse thruster on the bow of the escape capsule. The landing speed of the escape capsule immediately slowed down, and the banshee fighter group, which had no time to turn, suddenly reached the lower part of the escape capsule.

The door of the escape cabin suddenly opened, and Tommy jumped out of the escape cabin along the trajectory calculated by the "Thor Hammer" armor.

He adjusted his body posture into a spindle shape in the air, and his falling speed suddenly increased. His ears were filled with the sound of "whirring" wind, and the lavender shell of the Banshee fighter jet quickly enlarged in his field of vision.

Several Banshee fighter jets nearby seemed to be frightened by his bold behavior and did not approach him immediately.

Immediately afterwards, two missiles from inside the escape cabin flew away from him with dazzling flames, and then hit the corresponding Banshee fighter jet. The burst of fireworks and scattered fuselage fragments forced the nearby one away. Four Banshee fighter jets.

Tommy landed with a thud on the target fighter, which shook violently under his weight.The pilot inside panicked and tried to throw him off by rolling, but Tommy had already used magnetic strips to firmly attach himself to it.The ground in his vision continued to rotate. He grabbed a small piece of C-7 foam explosives, covered the fighter's head, and then took a detonator and inserted it into the foam while it turned into hard resin.

The leads are very short and there is no time left to connect the timer.Tommy turned sideways and raised his head. The small local explosion caused his energy shield to drop immediately, and a small hole was blown open in the fighter's head.

Tommy pulled out the M6D Magnum pistol and was about to insert the muzzle of the gun into the small hole to kill the pilot, and a white line appeared out of thin air as a bullet broke the speed of sound. The bullet accurately shot into the hole, and the pilot's head was inside. He was immediately beaten into paste.

Tommy couldn't help but admire Taote's superb sniper marksmanship. He could hit such a small hole even when the Banshee fighter jet was spinning and the escape hatch was getting away from him. Maybe one day he could let him compete with Linda. ?

The Spartan opened the hatch of the Banshee fighter jet, threw the limp pilot inside into the air, then got into the cockpit of the fighter jet and closed the hatch.

This was not his first time flying a Banshee fighter jet. His past driving training allowed him to skillfully press the holographic control panel inside. The display screen in front of his face lit up, and the anti-gravity cabin emitted a light blue light. .

Through the gap, Tommy saw that the forced Banshee fighter group split into two parts. One part continued to pursue the escape pod, while the other part turned around and rushed towards him.

The ground was getting closer and closer to them, and he had to fight quickly, otherwise the time left would not be enough for the escape pod to slow down.

Two Banshee fighter jets came towards them with a series of plasma beams. Tommy controlled the fighter jets to roll to avoid them, and then turned on the accelerator. The fighter jets' thrusters suddenly spurted out blue flames and flew towards the enemy planes.

The Covenant pilots obviously did not expect that Tommy not only did not avoid them, but also flew directly towards them. Their formation began to loosen, and then staggered and dispersed. Tommy passed them by and ignored them at all. They were behind and flew towards the two Banshee fighter jets that were chasing the escape pod.

Under the influence of gravity and propellers, the speed of the Banshee fighter is getting faster and faster, but the speed of the wind that penetrates along the head is also getting faster and faster, and the edge of the small gap will soon be hit by the air. Becoming torn apart, then completely cracked.

Tommy cursed secretly, watching the other two Banshee fighter jets that were already very close in his field of vision, releasing the safety of the nuclear gun, and then pressed the fire button of the heavy weapon on the Banshee fighter jet.The fuselage shook, and an energy ball drew an arc and hit the No. 1 enemy aircraft in front. It was instantly enveloped in a ball of bright green light, and then the remaining wreckage fell to the ground with molten iron. .

The two enemy planes in the rear caught up, and Tommy followed closely behind the No. 2 enemy plane in the front.He also did not avoid the plasma beam shot from behind. The hot molten iron hit his energy shield, and the hot stinging sensation made him frown.

When the enemy plane behind fired the energy ball, he immediately pulled the fighter up and turned sideways to avoid the fire attack.The ultra-high temperature ionized gas passed through his starboard fuselage like lightning, and then crashed into the enemy plane in front of Tommy.As a result, there were only one enemy aircraft left at the front and rear.

Tommy glanced at the escape hatch through the slowly widening crack in the fighter jet. Its surface had suffered multiple blows and had melted and cracked in many places.

Less than 3000 meters above the ground, his fighter jet was already in pieces and fluttering in the strong wind. It was falling downwards with billowing black smoke.

"Team leader, there are no planes behind us, but the escape capsule has a few holes, and we are almost cooked!" Rebecca shouted in the team communication channel, "How are you doing there?"

"Not good!" Tommy hurriedly operated on the holographic panel. "There are two more ones biting me. Give me some heavy weapon support!" He led the two pursuing enemy planes and rushed straight towards the escape cabin. go.

The two Banshees were clinging to him, and Tommy's fighter had air leaks and engine problems, making it impossible for him to get away from them.

He pushed a ball on the holographic control panel to the bottom, and the reverse ailerons on the Banshee fighter moved. The entire fuselage suddenly turned upside down and slid to one side, holding it until the nose of the plane pointed upward again. When he did, he adjusted the ball back to level.

This roller maneuver was very effective, and only a few plasma beams hit him, but the scarred Banshee fighter could no longer hold on. It groaned, and then the blue light on the anti-gravity module went out.

"Are you in a hurry?" Rebecca's proud voice sounded in his ears.

The door of the escape cabin suddenly opened, and he saw Rebecca without a helmet, her round face covered with glistening beads of sweat, an M41 rocket launcher on her shoulder, and her short Miku-colored hair fluttering in the strong wind.She narrowed her eyes and grinned at Tommy's Banshee fighter jet, then two missiles roared past him with orange tail flames, and flew straight towards the two pursuing enemy planes.

One enemy plane was hit and shattered into pieces with a "boom", while the other one turned sideways at a large angle, and the missile flew away against its belly.

"Tommy, the altitude is too low. I have to start slowing down. You have to find a way for the remaining one!" Ellie said in the communication channel.

The escape capsule started the anti-gravity thruster located in the belly of the ship. Its descent speed immediately slowed down, and it reached Tommy's head in the blink of an eye.

"Copy that," Tommy opened the hatch of the Banshee fighter jet, turned over and squatted on the fuselage of the fast-flying Banshee fighter jet, "I'll take care of the last one."

The fighter jet pounced forward again, and the plasma gun on the nose was about to fire.Tommy kicked off the fighter jet and stretched his limbs to increase wind resistance.He collided with the enemy plane head-on, then activated the magnetic strip on the armor, which was firmly attached to the fuselage.

He felt the hatch move under his feet, a crack appeared on the edge of the hatch, and four thick fingers poked out - it wanted to eject Tommy.

Tommy clenched his fist and smashed its fingers, and the elite warrior inside suddenly howled miserably.Then he reached behind his back, pulled out his MA5B assault rifle from the magnetic hanging point, put the muzzle of the gun against the head of the hatch cover, and fired fiercely.

White light first burst out from inside, and then blue-purple blood splashed, and the screams stopped abruptly. However, all the control panels and anti-gravity engines of the Banshee fighter were also damaged. It suddenly lost power and flew towards the earth. Fall away.

Tommy looked down and saw that they had arrived at the junction of the plains and low hills. In the middle was a canyon filled with trees and some unnamed grasses.

He felt the flow direction of the air and pulled the flaps of the Banshee fighter as needed, allowing it to land slowly at an angle that would allow it to fly forward.Soon, the bottom of the fighter jet hit the top of the tree, causing bursts of "clattering" sounds and tremors.

He dropped the fighter jet and jumped to one side.When passing through the branches, the shield of the "Thunder Hammer" armor emitted a dazzling light, and then suddenly exploded, and the energy of the shield was completely exhausted.At this time, he hit the center of the trunk of a big tree, knocking a big hole out of the tree and stopped.

"Hiss" Tommy gasped in pain, and he slowly stood up holding on to his numb waist.

There was a sound of breaking through the air above his head. He looked up and saw the escape cabin burning and falling not far ahead.Tommy hurriedly chased in that direction.

The escape cabin landed safely, and Tommy just arrived at the door of the escape cabin.

He opened the broken hatch and let the four people inside out. "Are you okay? Are you injured?"

"Great, team leader," Cecilia walked out with vigorous steps. He patted Tommy on the chest, "Thanks to you, we are doing great!"

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief and patted his shoulder. The lustful smile on Cecilia's face soon twisted into a grin.

"It's so hot, you bastards," Rebecca cursed as she walked out, "I must take a shower if I have a chance."

"Tout hit the bulkhead and had some scratches on his chest." Aurora said, handing Ellie's chip to Tommy.

"You may need to climb over these hills next," Tommy looked up at the woods above and the uneven ground covered with messy rocks. "Do you need me to carry you?"

"No need, sir, this injury does not affect movement." Taote said.

"Very well, Corporal," Tommy uploaded the coordinates of the UNSC lifeboat onto their heads-up display, "Let's get going."

(End of this chapter)