The Armory (Level)

"Suit up, prepare for battle."

Summary

The Armory is the first playable campaign level in Halo 2, but it's all scripted. Immediately follows The Heretic.

Transcript

One Size Fits All

{Master Sergeant Gunns inspects the Master Chief's new armor.}

Master Sergeant Gunns: "Well, I guess it was all obsolete, anyway. Your new suit's a Mark VI, just came up from Songnam this morning. Try and take it easy till you get used to the upgrades. Okay, let's test your targeting, first thing. Please look at the top light. Good. Now look at the bottom light. Alright. Look at the top light again. Now the bottom one. Okay. Tracking looks sketchy, I'm gonna run you through the full diagnostic. The diagnostic software sets your targeting system to be normal. Go ahead and look at the four lights, chief. You want me to leave it like that, or make it inverted? Okay, now it's inverted. Go ahead and target 'em one more time. Should I leave it inverted, or put it back to normal? Okay, now it's back to normal. I'll leave your targeting set to normal. If you change your mind, you can switch the setting anytime. Stand by. I'm gonna offline the inhibitors. Move around a little, get a feel for it. When you're ready, come and meet me by the zapper."

{Master Chief moves over to the shield recharge station. If you jump around, however, Gunns will say things like "You'll pull a tendon doing that!"}

Master Gunns: "Pay attention, 'cause I'm only going over this once. This station'll test your recharging energy shields. Step on in, I'll show ya." {MC steps in} "Your new armor's shields are extremely efficient, very resilient." {the machine zaps MC's shields} "Bingo! As you can see, they recharge a lot faster!"

{The elevator door opens, and Sergeant Johnson steps out wearing dress uniform.}

Master Gunns: "If your shields go down, find some cover, wait for the meter to read fully charged."

Sergeant Johnson: "That, or he can hide behind me. You done with my boy here, Master Gunns? I don't see any training wheels."

Master Gunns: "His armor's working fine Johnson, so shut your chilly hole. You're free to go, son, just remember, take things slow."

Sergeant Johnson: "Don't worry, I'll hold his hand."

{If you stall}

Sergant Johnson: C'mon, Chief. They're waiting for us on the bridge.

• Get on the lift, Chief. We're gonna be late.

• I don't want to keep the Brass waiting, Chief.

• Fine, you can tell Lord Hood why we're late!

• Get your shiny green posterior on this elevator!

• Would it help if I said, "Please"?

{MC enters the elevator.}

Master Gunns: "So, Johnson, when you gonna tell me how you made it back home in one piece?"

Sergeant Johnson: "Sorry, Gunns. It's classified."

Master Gunns: "Huh! My ass! Well, you can forget about those adjustments to your A2 scope!"

{The doors close and the elevator rises.}

Sergeant Johnson: "Well, he's in a particularly fine mood. Maybe Lord Hood didn't give him an invitation."

{The elevator stops, and they get out to board a small tram. It starts to move, with a view of the crew of the Cairo going about their business and a backdrop of windows displaying the station and the stars.}

Sergeant Johnson: {gazing out the window} "Earth. Haven't seen it in years. When I shipped out for Basic, the orbital defense grid was all theory and politics. Now look! The Cairo is just one of three hundred geosync platforms. That MAC gun can put a round clean through a Covenant capital ship. With coordinated fire from the Athens and the Malta, nothing's getting past this battle cluster in one piece. Ships have been arriving all morning. Nobody's saying much, but I'll bet something big's about to happen."

{The tram stops, and they walk out to join a crowd of cheering Marines.}