James Cutter: Difference between revisions

===A new enemy===

{{Quote|If we don't stop Atriox now, we leave the galaxy at the mercy of a monster. So no, Isabel. We won't be running anywhere today.|Cpt. Cutter calling his crew to action.<ref name="ANE"/>}}

On March 28, [[2559]], just over twenty-eight years since entering cryostasis, Captain Cutter was awakened to the voice of [[Serina]]. She had initiated her own final dispensation more than twenty-two years earlier, but she had left behind some automated protocols to awaken the crew in in response to certain contingencies. She also had recorded a farewell message for Cutter in particular. In it, she stated that it had been a pleasure to serve with him and asked that he look after everyone for her. After dressing collecting his thoughts, Cutter made his way to the observation deck, where he found professor Anders already present. Outside, an enormous [[Installation 00|concave superstructure]] with eight petals, covered in landmasses and oceans, stretched out before them. Cutter greeted Anders, who was flush with the excitement of discovery and already making plans for landing on the surface beneath them. The captain asked if she had any insight concerning what it was or where they were, but all Anders could confirm was that they had left the [[Milky Way galaxy]] behind for the gulf of intergalactic space. Cutter brought up a records of the ''Spirit of Fire'''s sensors, which revealed they had dropped out of slipspace less than an hour ago. Without a slipspace drive of its own, Anders concluded that something had opened some sort of [[portal|slipspace corridor]] and pulled them in from this side. Just then, word came from the bridge that a UNSC signal was transmitting from the surface. Cutter directed it to be played for him, but was told that it couldn't be decrypted with their outdated codes. Its very existence excited Cutter, however, because to him it meant that the UNSC was still in the fight or had perhaps even beat the Covenant. Something else was blocking Anders' surface scans of the huge structure's topography, but she could pinpoint the general location for the signal. Cutter decided to send the three Spartans of [[Red Team]] to investigate. He contacted Jerome-092 with orders to be ready for reconnaissance within the hour. As a pelican ferried Red Team to the ground, Cutter followed up with the professor to ascertain whether the signal's location could be named with any more precision. She had narrowed it down to a small sector where other recon teams were currently investigating. She also had found what looked like a [[Henry Lamb Research Outpost|UNSC research outpost]] and again expressed a desire to do some exploring herself. Cutter told her that without Serina, he needed her to remain on the ship, and told Jerome to make contact with whomever was signaling to them as soon as possible. As the Spartans drew nearer to the source, Cutter notified Jerome of a portal like those that existed on the artificial planet in 2531 which they could use to get closer easily. He also told him that he had ordered the other forces to hang back and cover their exit while they sought out answers.