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Chapter 4: The Silent Cartographer

Next day, the Sector V team, along with Numbuh 65 flew to a remote island in an ocean. “The Covenant believes that there is a map room codenamed ‘The Silent Cartographer’. It can help lead us to Halo’s control centre.” Numbuh 65 explained, “The map room is right here, hiding in one of these facilities.”

The 2 P.E.L.I.C.A.N.’s landed on a beach area. Everyone got out, and attacked the enemy Covenant group. After a while, Numbuh 91 responded, “All enemies have been cleared. I’m ready to move in. Did somebody order a W.A.R.T.H.O.G.?”

“Numbuh 91,” Numbuh 2 retorted, “I didn’t know you make house calls!”

“Hey, you know our motto: We deliver!” she replied, and her P.E.L.I.C.A.N. unhooked the W.A.R.T.H.O.G.

“Let’s ride, Kids Next Door!” Numbuh 65 yelled, and all the operatives squeezed inside the ATV.

The jeep crossed the island plains like sprinters. They found Covenant agents, and shot them to their doom. After 5 minutes of driving, the team noticed a huge facility. Numbuh 1 thought, “Maybe the map room in that facility. Let’s move in!”

Covenant enemies noticed the squad, and tried to take them down with plasma weaponry and grenades. The K.N.D. squadron eliminated the Grunts, Elites, and Jackals first. They got off their motor vehicle, and rushed inside the building. “All right, team.” Numbuh 1 said, “Let’s find that map room!”

Then, they noticed a group of Covenant Grunts and Elites. The children tossed a fragmentation grenade. It took out half the enemy. When the smoke cleared, the door in front of them was closed and the Covenant Elite attacked them. The party jammed 6 plasma grenades on it. “Get down!” Numbuh 65 yelled, and there was a gigantic plasma explosion!

When the plasma smoke cleared, they noticed the door was locked. “Well,” Numbuh 1 began, “These insidious space invaders doesn’t want us to reach the map room. We can’t get inside at the moment.”

“Numbuh 274 to Sector V,” the young operative said on his two-way radio, “Have you infiltrated the map room?”

“Negative, Numbuh 274.” Numbuh 65 reported, “The Covenant have locked the door and we can’t get in. We’re gonna have to override the security system somehow.”

“Understood.” Numbuh 274 replied, “I might be out of contact soon. Try as best you can to break into the map room. Failure is no longer an option for us! Good luck. 274 out.”

Numbuh 65 sighed. “Well, what did he say?” Numbuh 5 asked, “We’re gonna try and break into the map room by the use of a security override.” Numbuh 65 answered, “I noticed a facility at the other end of the island. Numbuh 1 and 5, come with me. The rest of you, stay here.”

Numbuhs 1, 5 & 65 boarded the W.A.R.T.H.O.G., and drove off. Then, they noticed a small forest entrance guarded by Covenant operatives. “Let’s get them!” Numbuh 65 yelled, and fired the M41 LAAG machine gun. Numbuhs 1 and 5 fired their weapons. They got off the ATV after all agents have been K.I.A.

They rushed inside the entrance, and quickly noticed 2 Hunters. The Hunters fired their Fuel Rod guns. They missed. “Split up!” Numbuh 65 yelled,

One Hunter attacked Numbuhs 1 and 5. Another Hunter attacked Numbuh 65. They stuck plasma grenades at the opposite Hunter. They exploded and flew like birds in the sky. The trio moved deeper, and closer to the facility. They went inside, and noticed another duo of Hunters. They used the same technique they used back in the open courtyard. The 2 Hunters were defeated.

The threesome hurried down the open hall, and activated the security override. They rushed back outside until they heard, “HELP!”

Numbuh 3 spoke through the radio. “Come help us!” she cried

“We are under attack!” Numbuh 4 called out, “We need assistance!”

“Acknowledged, Numbuh 4.” Numbuh 5 responded, “We’re on our way!”

They jumped down to the beach, and found a shot-down P.E.L.I.C.A.N. and a load of ammo. Numbuh 65 traded his M6D S.C.A.M.P.P. Pistol for a M199 SM T.H.U.M.P.E.R. (Teddy Hurling Ultra Microwave Powered Ejection Rifle) Rocket Launcher. Numbuhs 1 & 5 picked up their extra rounds of their weapons.

They also found an abandoned tipped-over W.A.R.T.H.O.G. They flipped the ATV, and boarded it. They drove back to the facility, and found 2 Hunters. They flattened one, and shot the other one.

Once the threesome got inside, they found an Elite holding a plasma sword and attacking the remaining Sector V members. “Hey, Elite!” Numbuh 65 cried, and he armed his Rocket Launcher. “Dodge this!”

He fired, and the Elite swordfighter flew to his doom. “About time you showed up!” Numbuh 4 cried,

“Stop squabbling and let’s go!” Numbuh 65 replied, and the team rushed inside. They found an inside plank, and looked down. Numbuh 65 kicked a rock.

The team went the other way. An Elite is working on a computer, when all of a sudden… SMACK! Numbuh 65 hit it with his Rocket Launcher.

The team moved downstairs. As they moved, they heard “We’ve got Covenant drop ships coming in fast! They’re trying to flank us! Team Sector V, hurry and find the Cartographer! I don’t know how long we can hold them!”

“Give ‘em hell, Marine!” Numbuh 65 replied,

When they reached the bottom floor, the team split up, and invisibly attacked the Grunts and Elites. They regrouped and rushed down the hallway. Numbuh 65 noticed a little pillar. He flipped a switch. A heliotrope reflection of a human appeared. “Cortana?” he started

“Hello, Numbuh 65.” The A.I. replied

“You two know each other?” Numbuh 2 asked

“Not really,” Numbuh 65 answered

“We’ve just met.” Cortana implied, “However, I’ve researched the Kids Next Door files of each operative. Numbuh 65 fits the legendary description.”

“How did you get here, Cortana?” Numbuh 65 asked

Cortana answered, “Another operative placed me in this post, and left me behind. He did not come back since.”

“OK, Cortana.” Numbuh 65 said, “I’m gonna place you on a disc. Since you know Halo a lot more than I do, you might be a useful ally.”

“OK.” Cortana agreed

Numbuh 65 popped in an empty disc. The data was then transferred onto the disc. He took it out, and placed it inside his shield watch.

He dashed into a glowing room, and activated the Silent Cartographer. “The control centre is located here.” Cortana reported. Laser luminosity shot out of his wristwatch, and whisked to a mountainous area on the northern side of the circumference. “If I can interpret this correctly, it looks like a temple or a shrine.”

As the team rushed out, Numbuh 65 radioed Numbuh 91. “Numbuh 91,” he said, “Meet Cortana. She’s an A.I. we found when we came close to the Cartographer.”

“Welcome, Cortana to the Kids Next Door.” Numbuh 91 replied, “It’s good to have you back!”

“Thanks, Numbuh 91.” Cortana replied, “Inform Numbuh 274 that we have discovered the location of the control room. We’ll return to the surface for extraction.”

“Roger that, Cortana.” Numbuh 91 said, “I’m on my way.”

As the Sector V team slowly moved back outside, they took out enemy agents along the way. Once they hit topside, the entire team boarded the P.E.L.I.C.A.N.

The P.E.L.I.C.A.N. flew off. “OK, Cortana.” Numbuh 65 said, “Show Numbuh 91 the co-ordinates.”

When she received them, Numbuh 91 is surprised. “These co-ordinates are underground!” she yelled

As the P.E.L.I.C.A.N. went to an open courtyard, the ground opened. “The Covenant did a thorough seismic scan. My analysis shows that Halo is honeycombed with deep tunnels, which circle the whole ring.” Cortana implied. The P.E.L.I.C.A.N. descended slowly.

“I hope you’re right about this!” Numbuh 91 said, “This P.E.L.I.C.A.N. doesn’t do underground aerial assaults!”

“Look on the bright side, Numbuh 91.” Cortana said, “The last the thing the Covenant will expect is an aerial insertion… from underground.”