The Pillar of Autumn

Summary
The very first level of Halo: Combat Evolved. As the Master Chief, make your way to the bridge of the titular ship, then find your way off the ship.

First Cutscene
{fades into space, Halo is there} {slowly turns and zooms in onto the Pillar of Autumn}

Captain Keyes: "Cortana, all I need to know, is did we lose them."

Cortana: "I think we both know the answer to that."

{inside ship, see the captain}

Captain Keyes: {sigh} "We made a blind jump, how did they--"

Cortana:   "Get here first? The Covenant ships have always been faster. As for tracking us all the way from Reach, at light speed, my maneuvering options were limited."

{the captain begins pacing around, looking at screens}

Captain Keyes: "We were running dark, yes?

Cortana: "Until we decellerated. Nobody could have missed the hole we tore in subspace." {pause, the captain looks at a crewman's screen} "They were waiting for us on the far side of the planet."

Captian Keyes: "So, where do we stand?"

Cortana: "Our fighters are mopping up the last of their recon picket now, nothing serious. But, I've isolated approach signatures from X CCS battle groups. And in about 90 seconds they'll be all over us."

Captain Keyes: "Well that's it then. Bring the ship back up to combat alert alpha. I want everyone at their stations."

Cortana: "Everyone, sir?"

Captain Keyes: "Everyone."

{everyone runs to their stations}

Captain Keyes: "And Cortana?"

{Cortana appears}

Cortana: "Hmm?"

Captain Keyes: "Let's give our old friends a warm welcome."

Cortana: "I've already begun."

''{transition through Cortana's face into Marines preparing. Shows several things, until we see Sergent Johnson walking through a line of soldiers}''

Sargeant Johnson: "You heard the lady! Move like you've got a purpose!"

Sargeant Johnson (Easy): Men...keep your eyes downrange, fingers on your triggers, and we all go home in one piece. {Pause} Am I right Marines?!

Sargeant Johnson (Normal): Once again, it is our job to finish what the flyboys started. We are leaving this ship platoon, and engaging the Covenant on solid ground. When we meet the enemy, we will rip their skulls from their spine, and toss 'em away, laughin'! {Pause} Am I right, Marines?

Sargeant Johnson (Heroic): Men, here is where we show those split-chin squid-head sons of bitches that they could not have picked a worse enemy than the human race. We are going to blow the hell out of those dumb bugs until we don't have anything left to shoot 'em with! And then, we are going to strangle them with their own-living-guts! {Pause} Am I right, Marines?

Sargeant Johnson (Legendary): Men, we led those dumb bugs out to the middle of nowhere to keep 'em from gettin' their filthy claws on Earth. But, we stumbled onto somethin' they're so hot for, that they're scramblin' over each other to get it. Well, I don't care if it's God's own personal anti-son-of-a-bitch machine, or a giant hoola hoop, we're not gonna let 'em have it! What we will let 'em have is a belly full of lead, and a pool of their own blood to drown in! {Pause} Am I right, Marines?

Marines: "Sir, yes sir!"

Sargeant Johnson: "Uh-huh. Damn right I am. Now move it out! Double time!"

''{camera angle changes to outside of where they were. Marines running, the sarge is walking}''

Sargeant Johnson: "All you greenhorns who wanted to see Covenant up close...this is gonna be your lucky day."

{cut to screen}

Crewman 1: "Whoa! Sir..."

Crewman 2: "Right. Let's thaw him out."

{begin pressing buttons}

Crewman 1: "Okay. Cracking the case in thirty seconds." {pause, as they show Master Chief's cryo tube} "He's hot! Blowing the pins in five."

{enter Master Chief}

In Master Chief
(only happens in Easy & Normal)

{tube cover goes up}

Sam (always up top, with radio sound): "Tube shows green. Cycle complete."

Crewman: "Sorry for the quick thaw, Master Chief. Things are a little hectic right now. The disorientation should pass quickly."

Sam: "Welcome back, sir! We'll have you battle ready static."

Crewman: "Chief, please look around the room. I need to get a callibration reading for your battle suit's diagnostics."

{look around}

Crewman: "Good. Thank you sir."

Sam: "I'm bringing your health monitors online, sir."

{health appears}

Crewman: "Vital signs look normal. No freezer burn. Okay sir, go ahead and climb out of the cryo tube."

{Master Chief gets out of tube}

Crewman: "I gave you a double dose of the wake-up stiff. Take a quick walk around the cryo bay and join me at the optical diagnostics station when you're ready."

{crewman walks over, Master Chief stands on red square}

Crewman: "I know the ordinance tecs usually take care of your targeting sensors, but we're short of time, Chief. Just look at each of the flashing panels to target them. When you lock on, it'll change color."

{Chief looks at the flashing lights}

Crewman: "Okay, that looks good..."

Sam: "Sir, I'm getting some callibration errors. I'm going to invert your looking pitch, so you can see if you like it better that way." {pitch is inverted} "Try targeting the flashing lights again. Is that better or should I switch it back?"

{Chief decides}

Sam: "I'm ready for the energy shield test now."

Crewman: "Please follow me to the energy shield test station."

Loudspeaker: "Fire teams: Sensors show inbound Covenant boarding craft. Stand by to repel boarders."

Crewman: "Okay, bring his energy shields online please."

{shields appear}

Sam: "Alright. Shields read as fully charged."

Crewman: "Okay Sir. Bring them down to test the automatic recharge."

{shields get zapped away, recharge}

Sam: "Recharging normal. It's showing green across the board."

Meeting Keyes
Captain Keyes (radio): "Bridge to Cryo 2, this is Captain Keyes. Send the Master Chief to the bridge immediately."

Crewman: "Captain, we'll have to skip the weapons diagnostics and I-"

Captain Keyes (radio): "On the double, crewman."

Crewman: "Aye aye sir. {Pause} The skipper seems jumpy, we'd better get moving. We'll find you weapons later."

Sam: "Okay. I'll leave the self-diagnostics running, at least."

Crewman: "You'd better get to your evac group, Sam!"

Sam: "Affirmative. I just have to reset the computer and I'm outta here!" {banging on the door} "Oh god! They're trying to get through the door! Security! Intruders in Cryo 2! No, please don't- AHHHH!!!"

Crewman: "Sam! Sam! C'mon, we've got to get the hell out of here. This way!"

{he leads Master Chief out, door explodes, kills crewman, Chief finds his way to another room with an Elite, Marines kill it}

Marine 1: "Chief, Cortana says, get to the bridge, double quick!"

Marine 2: "Sir! The Captain needs you on the bridge, ASAP! You better follow me." {as they come apon more Covenant} "Get clear, Chief!" {as they get to the bridge} "Captain Keyes is waiting for us, Sir!"

{Master Chief approaches Keyes}

Master Chief: "Captain Keyes."

Captain Keyes: "Good to see you, Master Chief. Things aren't going well. Cortana did her best, but we never really had a chance."

Cortana: "A dozen Covenant superior battleships against a single Halcyon-class cruiser. Given those odds I'm content with three... make that four kills." {to Master Chief} "Sleep well?"

Master Chief: "No thanks to your driving, yes."

Cortana: "So, you did miss me."

{loud expolsion}

Captain Keyes: "Report!"

Cortana: "It must have been one of their boarding parties! I'd guess an anti-matter charge!"

Crewman: "Ma'am! Fire control for the main cannon is offline!"

Cortana: "Captain, the cannon was my last offensive option!"

Captain Keyes: "Alright, that's enough. I'm initiating Cole Protocol Article 2. We're abandoning the Autumn. That means you too, Cortana."

Cortana: "While you do what, go down with the ship?"

Captain Keyes: "In a manner of speaking. The object we found, I'm going to try and land the Autumn on it."

Cortana: "With all due respect, Sir, this war has enough dead heroes."

Captain Keyes: "I appreciate your concern, Cortana, but it's not up to me. The Protocol is clear. Destruction or capture of a shipboard AI is absolutely unacceptable, and that's means you're leaving the ship. Lock in a selection of landing zones, upload them to my neural lace, and then sort yourself for a hard transfer."

Cortana: "Aye aye, Sir."

Captain Keyes: "Which is where you come in, Chief. Get Cortana off this ship. Keep her away from the enemy. If they capture her, they'll learn everything. Force deployment, weapons research... Earth."

Master Chief: "I understand."

Cortana: "The Autumn will continue evasive maneuvers until you initiate a landing sequence. Not that you'll listen, but I'd suggest letting my subroutines handle the final approach."

Captain Keyes: "Excellent work, Cortana. Thank you. Are you ready?"

Cortana: "...Yank me."

{Keyes pulls a data chip out of the holotank and gives to to MC, MC slides the chip in his helmet}

Captain Keyes: "Good luck, Master Chief."

Walkthrough
(needs to be written)

Related Links

 * Pillar of Autumn