Halo: Into The Howling Dark (on hold)

Chapter Two

March 15, 2542 (Military Calendar).

New Alexandria, Eposz, Reach.

Finn was sure that all the way home, he had been followed, watched. He was also certain, that Block C of the Cole Orphanage was under constant surveillance until he was picked up. Doctor Walker worked fast and cautiously, obviously.

At 6am the next morning, Finn gathered his few belongings in an orange haversack and made his way out of his hated accommodation.

He signed out for the last time, wishing the security guard on duty well, and strolled outside into the rising sun, half-hidden behind the city's many towers. A cab sat at the bottom of the granite steps waiting for him, engine running. The back door opened, and a gruffly, hardened looking man gestured to him with a wave of the hand.

"Hop in. Don't worry about the fare, our mutual friend is paying".

"A cab? How-" Finn started, but was cut off before a fourth word could leave his mouth.

"No speaking until we reach our destination, please" the man ordered and Finn didn't protest it.

It took the cab a half hour to arrive overlooking the wharfs of the New Alexandria docks. Finn got out and walked under guard all the way down the paved slope into the industrial shipping zone. The ship he'd be travelling in sat docked not too far away from the drop-off point. It was an old freighter, looking like it had seen one too many atmospheric re-entries judging by the way the titanium shell was peeling away in some places. The hull was emblazoned with the Lykaon Corporation's logo - that of a howling wolf - and its name read 'Angeles' in block letters by the bow.

Parting with his previous minder, a sweaty young Corporation security soldier saluted Finn in greeting once aboard - which was strange, he thought privately, as he was hardly rank and file. He didn't question it however, just responded with a polite nod of the head.

"My name is Private Wentsley. I'll be your escort aboard the ship. Follow me please" he recited with an ever so slight stutter.

They walked along the Angeles, and Finn could feel the engines coming to life with a sort of low grumble. The ship would need a bit of time to fully get going and take off, so Finn expected to be in cryo long before they hit zero gravity. Wentsley stopped outside a sealed metal door, which he keyed open on an electrical panel.

"Go on inside" was all he said.

Finn entered. He found himself standing alone in a small room with rows of steel benches and a luminescent screen on the wall. A pre-recorded message began to play as Finn took a seat and the lighting dimmed.

A somewhat thin, but handsome woman smiled at him, or, as Finn noticed, whoever may have been watching the video. She looked to be in her fifties, and wore her stringy auburn hair in a loose bun. A delicately decorated hair fork sat comfortably in the bun, revealing the corner of a lotus flower that was painted onto it. Her voice was soothing, but everything she said seemed to contain a sense of finality to it.

"Greetings, Project WOLF candidate. My name is Caroline Mosley, I am President of the Lykaon Corporation and chief supervisor of the Special Projects Division. In effect, I make sure everything in my company goes according to plan.

"Now, to business. The fact that you are watching this video means that we are satisfied you didn't break protocol, ergo, you kept your mouth shut. If you did plan on blowing the whistle however, you missed your last chance to do so. Once you reach your new home, 'The Den', you will be under complete communications lockdown. Things will stay that way. Nobody may know of this program.