Chapter 6: Impressions

Chapter 6: Impressions is the final chapter of Halo Infinite: Memory Agent.

Transcript
''Note: For the sake of the transcript. "The Lieutenant" is referred to as their actual name "Parisa".''


 * Narrator: "Halo Infinite: Memory Agent, part 6."


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Recording): "I know that you have no recollection of anything that I am saying, but knowing you as I do, you should feel that this is all true as it did for me. This will be your fifth and final mission. Operation: HOURGLASS. Bring the encryption key to Spartan-117. The Master Chief."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "So, according to me, I'm an operative with no memory.Hm. Well, the part about me finding the Master Chief worked, I guess."


 * Master Chief: "I found you."


 * Oliver: "That is accurate, Lieutenant. We received a ping from the Master Chief's Pelican at the rendezvous point, but the Master Chief intercepted us here."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Why?"


 * Master Chief: "I've been field testing my new armor and tracking you, but so is a squadron of Phaetons. I diverted their pursuit of this vessel by revealing my own. Except I wasn't on it."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "How did you get to us?"


 * Oliver: "The Master Chief's armor is capable of limited but precise maneuverability in the vacuum of space."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Well that's handy."


 * Master Chief: "The enemy will only be fooled for so long. They'll be back and they'll want the intel."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "But I don't know anything about the intel. Unless this AI has it."


 * Oliver: "Oliver. Negative, Lieutenant. Your augmented short-term photographic memory is the only link to the intelligence."


 * Master Chief: "Can you recall the encryption key at all, Lieutenant?"


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "I- I'm sorry, I can't. I don't know where to even begin trying. I think I failed."


 * Oliver: "Lieutenant, I am pleased to report that your last memory cycle persisted 12 minutes longer than your previous record. This improvement should offer emotional consolation."


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "12 more minutes of what? An existence that expires every day? There's nothing remotely consoling about that, and here I am conversing with some dumb AI and this guy! A Spartan? I know nothing of him but I feel like he's not someone who's let down very often."


 * Master Chief: "Oliver, perform long-range scans. Alert us of anything incoming."


 * Oliver: "Understood."


 * Master Chief: "Are the rest of the ship's systems operational?"

Doors hissing.


 * Master Chief: "Hm, I see you had some trouble back here."


 * Oliver: "We had a coolant leak, trihydridehexazine. The Lieutenant ably handled the remedy."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Looks like I went to town stabbing at the console. With this screwdriver I guess? I'm glad I did something right. Chief, look, I don't know how helpful I'm going to be if we're attacked."


 * Master Chief: "When we're attacked. And I wouldn't count yourself out."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Can't imagine why not."


 * Master Chief: "Because you and I are the only soldiers here. And that makes us a unit."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "But... But I'm compromised."


 * Master Chief: "You don't fight battles under ideal circumstances. You fight them and win them where they happen. Trust your intuitions, not your memory. I have good reason to believe in your abilities, Lieutenant."

Doors opening.


 * Master Chief: "Oliver, what are the current coordinates for the enemy craft? I'll need to know their precise approach vectors, try to intercept and..."


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "Oliver says I spent the entire journey studying this guy, hearing what other people think about him. Well somehow meeting him now tells me everything I need to know."

Proximity alert.


 * Oliver: "Enemy squadron incoming."


 * Master Chief: "Lieutenant, pilot seat."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "I'm there."

Phaeton shots graze the hull outside.


 * Oliver: "We are under fire."


 * Master Chief: "I want you to take continuous evasive action. Randomize your flight trajectory to keep them guessing."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "I can do that because I'll be guessing too!"


 * Oliver: "The last shots missed us."


 * Master Chief: "The next won't. Keep us moving, Lieutenant."


 * Oliver: "Another squadron dead ahead."

A shot strikes the hull.


 * Oliver: "We are now taking fire from two sides. Damage report: we are leaking coolant again."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "I'm going to try something else, hold on! Full reverse thrusters!"

The ships strains.


 * Oliver: "The squad to our rear is breaking formation. They are going to go around-"

Shockwave.


 * Oliver: "-us."


 * Master Chief: "Not for long."


 * Oliver: "They are regrouping and firing on us again."


 * Master Chief: "This is about to get a little more complicated."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "What do you mean?"


 * Master Chief: "I've been through this before."


 * Oliver: "Intruder alert. They have translocated aboard our ship."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "What do we do?"


 * Master Chief: "Continue with evasive maneuvers."

Gun cocking.


 * Master Chief: "I'll deal with them."


 * Oliver: "We are still taking fire to multiple points on the fuselage."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Oliver, you said something about us venting..."


 * Oliver: "Trihydridehexazine, that is correct."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Hang on, I'm going to draw them closer."


 * Oliver: "The risk factor of this maneuver-"


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Just tell me when the enemy ships are near the gas!"


 * Oliver: "Ships are enveloped in vented gas."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Here we go! Getting a little closer. A little more... Engine stop! Firing single port thruster!"

Multiple alerts.


 * Oliver: "Three enemy ships obliterated. The others have broken pursuit but we seem to be in an uncontrolled spin."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Well aware, can we stabilize?"


 * Oliver: "Detonation has taken starboard thrusters offline. Working to restart."


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "That explosive maneuver may have been a bad idea but we got those Phaetons off our back. Wow, I don't know how long I can spin like this. I... can't move..."


 * Master Chief: "I'm out! Lieutenant, throw me your pistol!"


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "I can't do it! I can't orient myself!"


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "I'm out of control, we're spinning too fast."


 * Master Chief: "Lieutenant!"


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "I have the pistol in my hands. There's no way I can get this to the Chief in one piece."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "I'm going to take the shot!"

Shot and moan of agony of a Promethean construct.


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "I can't... take the spin anymore..."

Children laughing are briefly heard.


 * Oliver: "She is regaining consciousness."


 * Master Chief: "Lieutenant, are you okay?"


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Ugh, did we get the bastards?"


 * Master Chief: "We did. Good shot. What is it, Lieutenant?"


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "The upper canyon streams on Eridanus II..."


 * Master Chief: "Go on."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "I- I- I don't know why I said that. I think I imagined something."


 * Master Chief: "Or remembered."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "The tides flows in reverse during the solstice... Stabbing, stabbing, stabbing..."


 * Master Chief: "The instruments panel."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "This is where Oliver said I was stabbing at the frozen panel. These don't seem like random markings that I made."


 * Master Chief: "You left yourself a message. A clue about the intel. These dashes and lines, this is knock code, it's how POWs communicate between cells."


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "How did I know about knock code? Was I a POW? They are like glyphs from an ancient people. I don't recognize any of it, but I feel there is meaning behind it."


 * Master Chief: "I believe I understand what this means. The solstice, the tides in reverse. The key is flipped. I have what I need. Oliver, set a course to my Pelican."


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "The streams, moon, wind... Did I conjure an image from my imagination or did I actually had a memory? I don't know. I do know I just leaped through an experience any normal person would not soon forget. In my case, it's t-minus 4 hours."

Ellipsis music.


 * Oliver: "We have arrived at the coordinates."


 * Master Chief: "I'll be leaving from here."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Wait, Chief. Oliver told me that I almost quit this mission. I don't know what to say..."


 * Master Chief: "Log this mission as success. Armor field test complete, enemies neutralized, intel delivered. All will be vital for what's coming next."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "What's next for me is not remembering any of this."


 * Master Chief: "You engineered a way to pass information from one consciousness to the next. You're good at this, Lieutenant. That's why ONI has you doing what you're doing. By the way, I remember those streams on Eridanus II. They do make an impression. Goodbye, Lieutenant Parisa."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Goodbye, John."


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "Watching the Master Chief float through the silence of space to his Pelican, I can't help but think that even someone who looms so large is still just another soul looking for answers. Parisa..."


 * Oliver: "Lieutenant?"


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Yes, Oliver?"


 * Oliver: "A message from ONI. Codename FIXER."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Go ahead."


 * Oliver: "There's another mission if you so choose."


 * Lieutenant Parisa (Internal monologue): "It's all just an infinite cycle. Well, I'm sure one of my past self would protest, but..."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Respond in the affirmative. We'll just call it my next fifth and final mission."


 * Oliver: "You always do, Lieutenant."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "Parisa. It's Lieutenant Parisa."


 * Oliver: "Your name. Excellent! Updating registry. Some good news! Your name cross-references several additional files in the UNSC Archives."


 * Lieutenant Parisa: "That is good news, Oliver. Set course and open those new files. Start with anything connected with the Eridanus system. The clock is ticking, let's go!"


 * Narrator: "Lieutenant Parisa was performed by Zehra Fazal. Oliver by Bill Millsap. Faith Abdi by Nondumiso Tembe. Franklin Mendez by Jim Meskimen. Carol Rawley by Tawnya Pettiford-Wates. Chips Dubbo by Andrew McKaige. Colum McGinnis by Darren Jacobs. Officer Mateus by Jackson Gutierrez. And John One-One-Seven, the Master Chief, by Steve Downes."