The Day of a Grunt (translated)
Posted By: HaloWolf (translation by Ghôlsbane)<gholsbane@bungie.org>
Date: 11 May 2003, 4:39 PM
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This is a translation of Halowolf's 'The day of a grunt'.
" Protocol 129 initiated... "
" Activating molecular capacity of target... "
" ... bip... bip... Cardiac zone normal... bip... bip "
" ... Gas mask ready for use... bip... bip... "
" End of protocol... bip... waking target... "
The grunt opened its eyes.
- ...? ... What... What's happening?
" You are awake... bip... Regroup with the other G.A.F. members in the physical combat training room... bip... "
The grunt gathered his spirits. All around him he could see nothing but machines. Opposite him was a loudspeaker.
- What am I doing here? he asked.
" I repeat... bip... Regroup with the other G.A.F. members in the physical combat training room... bip... "
- What is G.A.F?
" ... bip Searching... bip... Archives... bip... bip... G.A.F (Grunt's Army Force) is your life's goat, to kill humans, to conquer new planets, to find ancient civilizations and to bring back the riches of these explored worlds... bip... Closing archives... bip "
The anxious mechanical voice of the loudspeaker died.
- Where is this room?
" ... bip... To the left, first right, corridor 725, left, right, corridor 14520-b, right, left... bip... "
- Um... yes! Thank you, said the little grunt.
Running through the structure's various corridors of which he knew nothing, the grunt finally found the famous room. He entered and two generals asked for his pass.
- What are you talking about?
- Ah, must be a new one, replied the general on the left.
-Pff, always the same story with them. They've got no culture!
- ?
- Ok, I'll explain. In your pocket you should have a card, a pass! said the general on the right.
- Ah ok, the grunt replied, seeming stupified.
He looked in the pocket of his armour while acclimatising to the methane being passed through his body from the mask.
- Here. Can I pass?
- Go on. The training here is no joke! said his superior on the left.
- Thanks.
The grunt entered the training hall. He scrutinised the room. On his left was a gravity lift (surely to transport troups to the ground) as well as a small anti gravity booth. On his right was a grunt training against a high quality hologram. Opposite, engraved on the wall in the grunt language, was the first page of the Sacred Book of the Covenant Religion which said:
"One day you will meet another form of life, a form of life able to destroy you [...] For our religion, as soon as this enemy is found and our technology is sufficiently advanced, we shall declare Holy War against this race [...]"
The grunt knew why he was born, thanks to this engraving, but he didn't understand its meaning.
" ALERT! ALERT!... bip... human form detected... bip... humans approaching Halo... bip... bip... Prepare for combat! Learned... bip... Take guards for protection and seek out Halo's Control Room... bip... "
Here we go! The humans had found Halo. The grunt told himself that he would have to die in combat!
- Um... Where are we going? asked the grunt.
- We are posted in Halo's North desert, replied one of the grunts un front of the door.
Later...
The heat was becoming unbearable, the grunt was in an impass. The Pillar of Autumn's systems were overcharging.
- We're gonna diie! screamed the other grunts.
- Pull yourselves together! ordered an Elite.
- Halo's gonna blow!
- We're gonna die!
- A flood! Aaaah!
- Soldier! screamed our grunt in the corner..
The grunt next to him was infected
The Flood... the Flood... thought the grunt.
Meanwhile
- Cortana, quick! There's only a minute to go before the explosion!
- There's one human ship left, in section 121 of the Pillar of Autumn!
- We're there!
- Close the door, Chief!
- Here we go!
A little later
The grunt knew that Halo would blow up in 25 seconds and he looked again at the Sacred Book of the Covenant Religion:
"One day you will meet another form of life, a form of life able to destroy you [...] For our religion, as soon as this enemy is found and our technology is sufficiently advanced, we shall declare Holy War against this race [...]"
This race... What if it wasn't the humans? thought the grunt. What if it was the Flood?
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
- We did it Chief! said Cortana.
- Did anyone else make it?
- Scanning... Just... dust and echoes. We are all that's left.
- We did what we had to do... for Earth. An entire Covenant armada obliterated, and the Flood... we had no choice. Halo. It's finished.
THE END
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