After his implantation, Wash had been sedated because something went very wrong his AI, Epsilon. As soon as Epsilon was drilled into his brain, he began to see visions of a woman, someone he'd never seen before. It drove him insane. For several days he was unconscious, until he started to wake up. He looks around and sees North and South on either side of him. 

"There you are." North says. Wash then begins to sit up, groaning. "Slowly. Slowly." North puts his hand on his shoulder. 

"How long was I out?" 

"Only a few days this time." 

"This time?" Wash questions. 

"Yeah, after they removed it." 

"Removed it?" Wash puts his hand on the back of his head.

"It's gone. They're going to remove all of them. Started with you." North explains. 

"Yeah, thanks jerk, the whole process is on hold now." South insults him. Wash looks past her and notices Carolina's bed is empty. 

"What about Carolina?" 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Carolina is on the bridge with the Director and Counselor Price. "I'm not giving them up just because he's made a recalculation. You owe me this." She tells them. 

"Carolina, you're acting like a child. This is not about you. This is about the Project." 

"You would be wise to listen to the Director. Agent Texas has already atempted to steal Wyoming's A.I. unit. If she were to come after you-" 

"Than she would get more than she bargined for." Carolina interjects. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"Carolina's had it kinda rough. The Director's considering sending her to hunt down Texas." 

"Hunt her down?" Wash says stunned. 

"She went rogue. Broke out of the facility in order to save her precious AI. Little later we found Wyoming. Apparently she tried to steal his AI unit. Tried to get his equipment, too." South explained.

"That hasn't been proven. Besides, that doesn't sound like her." North exclaims. 

"How would you know?" 

"Just trust me. I know, and besides, if she had done it, there wouldn't be anything left of Wyoming to find." 

"She's not a freakin' monster North." 

"You guys are giving me a headache." Wash complains holding his head. 

"Once they find Texas, they'll bring her back." Suddenly the alarm sounds. 

"Intruder alert. Intruder alert. Breach in security. Level zero." FILSS warns. 

"Or, she'll come back on her own." North mutters. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Tex, Zone, and York are in front of a door where York is trying to unlock it. 

"Great job, York." Tex says sarcastically. 

"I swear this never happens to me." York protests. 

[I'm sure you say that to all the ladies.]

"Seriously, I'm way better at this than it seems." 

"We don't have much time." Tex walks over to the lock and punches it. The door slides open and she and Zone enter the room. 

"I need you to find a way to make a distraction for us. Be careful." 

"Gotcha. What about you?" York says pulling out his shotgun. 

[There's someone we need to see." Zone tells him. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

"Intruder alert, intruder alert. Breach in Security. Level Zero." 

"It's the Resistance." Carolina exclaims. 

"No, it's Agent Texas. And her partner in crime." 

"We should get back to the lab. Director, we must follow protocol." Counselor Price begins to leave. The Director turns to Carolina. 

"Carolina, look at me. You know what needs to be done." 

"I do." She smirks. 

"Then do it." 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

In another hallway, Zone and Tex are above a numerous amount of soldiers, who are all fully armed. Tex was armed with many spikes grenades as Zone pulled his sword from his back. The two jumped down mowed down the soldiers, throwing some at each other or blowing them up. After they were all dead, they hear a door open and look to see South with a missile launcher. 

"Think you're so tough, don't you Texas? Think you're so invincible Zone? Well, let me ask you something: who's the monster now?

"Aw, crap..." South fire her launcher as Zone and Tex dive out of the way. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

In the locker room, Wyoming is with two soldiers, one with an assault rifle and one with a battle rifle. 

"Dude, we get to fight with Wyoming! Awesome!" The battle rifle soldier says. 

"Just clear the room lads." Wyoming orders calmly. 

"All clear!" 

"All clear, sir!" 

"Dear god, it's like idiot in stereo." Wyoming complains. 

"Nice zinger, sir!" The assault rifle soldier compliments. 

"Look over there. Now where are you hiding? Knock, knock mate." 

"Wait, who's there?" The battle rifle soldier asks. York bursts out from the ceiling and kills the two soldiers. 

"Knock knock!" York tells Wyoming while him hitting in the face with one of the locker doors. 

"Ah yes, that's what I'm saying, who's there?" 

"It's York! Hello." 

"Who's there?" 

"I told you! It's York!" 

"It's York...who?" York then picks up a locker and throws it at Wyoming, defeating him.

"It's "York" catch, pal! Talk about knock knocks." York then sees a photo of a woman floating in the air, grabs it, and then pockets it. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Back with Tex and Zone, they continue to dodge South's missiles. They land next to each other and South fires a great number of missiles. Zone and Tex brace themselves until sniper fire is heard and the missiles all blow up in midair. The three look to see North walking towards them with two sniper rifles slung over his shoulders. 

"Well, hello, ladies and my good man. What seems to be the problem?" 

"North, you know what the problem is. These two stabbed us in the back, and now it's time to return the favor. Whose side are you on, brother?" South asks aiming her missile launcher. North reciprocates by aiming his rifles. 

"Tex, Zone, take a walk. I need to have a little chat with my sister." 

[North? You sure?] 

"Go. This is a family matter." 

"Zone come on!" Tex runs off, Zone looks at the twins before following after her. 

South and North begin to fire upon each other. Zone and Tex are running down the hall until they come to a part where it splits. 

"Great which way?" Tex asks. 

[You head left, I'll go right. We'll meet up at the bridge.] Tex nods before they head in their directions. 

"Hey, York! I could use that distraction right about now!" Tex says on her radio. York bursts through the door to the control room. 

"Read you loud and clear, Tex. One distraction comin' right up." 

"York! Make it a big one!" 

"Hey relax. It's me." York chuckles. The Mother of Invention then fires nine missiles and they turn around and impact themselves with the ship. Carolina feels the vibration from it. 

"Dang it, York!" Carolina then runs off in the opposite direction. 

Tex is behind cover when she notices the lights cut off. 

"You call that big? Men..." Tex charges from the doorway and sees a tank in the hangar bay. She rolls away avoiding an oncoming shot. 

"She's over there!" The soldier on the turret yells. 

"I got her!" The driver answers. 

The soldier on the turret swings the turret around and begins to fires at Tex, forcing her to take cover behind some crates. The tank fires at them sending them all airborne. Tex was hanging onto a one and leaps towards the tank. The turret soldier begins to fire but Tex kicks the turret clean off the tank. Tex prepares to plant a grenade in the gunner's seat but drops it as the tank's barrel swings towards her, knocking her back. The gunner panicks with the live grenade, while Tex is hanging onto the tank's barrel. 

The gunner grab the grenade and throws it at Tex. "Hey! Catch!" Tex swings onto the barrel and punches the grenade towards the gunner, knocking him out of the tank. The tank begins to move backwards, slightly knocking Tex off balance. The tank fires, with the knockback throwing Tex to the front of the tank. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/- 

York enters the generator room and sees the giant machine. "Hello! What do we have here?" York walks over to the generator and puts away his shotgun.

"This looks important. Hey Delta, I think we could get into a lotta trouble in here." 

"I think we are already in a lot of trouble York." Delta states appearing. 

"Hmm...let's test that theory." In another part of the ship, three soldiers were were talking amongst each other until a beep is heard. They look and see the monitors say "Gravity Disengaged". They all float in the air flailing. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Tex gets up and then sees the tank rush at her pinning her against a pillar, and aiming it barrel at her. She then notices one of the crates begins to float in the air, which means one thing: No gravity. She then places her hands underneath the tank and flips it up easily. She pushes herself in the air and bounces off the tank towards the exit. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Carolina pushes herself through the hallways, passing by soldiers that were trying to gain their balance in the zero gravity. She then lands on a lift and steadies herself. 

[Carolina...] Carolina immediately takes out her plasma rifles and aims them at where the voice emanated. Zone then walks out of the shadows with sword on his back and hands raised. The lift begins to descend. 

[Please let's not do this...it doesn't have to be this way!]

"What are you doing here? Why are you helping her?!" Carolina asks angrily. 

[It isn't about her! I'm trying to do the right thing. You should too!]

"I am doing the right thing! I'm not deserting. She just wants your AI Zone. She already went after Wyoming." 

[Is that what they told you?] Zone says shocked. 

"I'm going to stop her! I have to." Carolina persists. 

[Carolina look at everything that's happened. After CT and the Insurrection, we've been fighting against each other! We're all supposed to be friends, no screw that family! I joined Tex because I care about her just as much as I do about you and York and North and Wash and Maine and everyone else on this ship. Please lets get everyone and leave. You can trust me.] Zone then places his hand on her shoulder. 

"Maybe..." Carolina then aims one of her plasma rifles at Zone's head. "But you can't trust me." Zone then sighs before crescent-kicking her plasma rifles away. Carolina jumps up kicks Zone twice before running down the wall. Zone regains his balance and they continue to fight once she lands. Carolina tries to kick him again but Zone grabs her leg, brings it under his arm and using his body, rams Carolina against the wall. She falls to the floor unconscious. Zone sighs as he picks her up. Once the lift stops he puts her against the wall and looks at her unconscious figure. Zone looks at his neck and rips off his dog tags. He places them in her hand and pushes her fingers together, making a fist. 

[I love you.] Zone then runs off. [Xi! How far is the bridge?] 

"Take a right and then you'll be at the door." Zone heeds her directions and bursts through the door. Tex then runs to his side. 

[What took you so long?] 

"Had a tank to deal with." They both feel the ship rumble once again and look out the viewport to see the ship is on a collision course with a nearby planet. The ship nears the surface and is yards away from crashing.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" Xi shouts. Zone grabs Tex and pulls her close as they brace themselves. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Tex shakes her head as she groans and stands up. She looks and sees the viewport glass of the ship is smashed and they appeared to be on a glacierized planet. She looks around and Zone is nowhere to be found. Tex turns on her radio. 

"Zone?" No answer. "Zone?" Tex becomes worried. 

[*Cough* I'm fine.] 

"I'll come get you." 

[No...Alpha...is the...priority...get him and let's...get out of here.] 

"Okay, just stay strong." Tex runs towards the console and interfaces. She closes her eyes as she feels herself become enveloped. Tex then opens her eyes and sees she's in some kind of room. She turns around and sees a man in white armor. 

"Hey there." 

"Huh?" The man turns around and looks at her. 

"Oh. Uh, hello. Who are you?" He asks. 

"You don't know me?" 

"Oh, uh, sorry. I'm just, um...tired. I'm really tired. My name is, uh...it's, uh..." 

"Your name is Alpha. You're Church." Tex reminds him. 

"Church. That's me. And you are...?" 

"Let's just say we used to be together." 

"Oh. Um, okay." 

"I need you to come with me." 

"Oh, I don't think I can, but thanks. I think I'm just gonna stay here, you know, and rest." 

"You don't want to leave?" 

"Ah, I just... I don't think I can." Alpha simply states. 

"Okay. Maybe you just rest then." Tex tells him. 

"Yeah, buh, what was your na-what was your name? Your name again?" 

"It's Texas." 

"Texas? Like the state?" 

"Yeah." 

"Heh. Pretty funny name for a girl." 

"Yeah, well, Church is a funny name for a guy." 

"Yeah. I guess you're right." 

"You gave me this name, you know." 

"I wonder why I did that." 

"Well, maybe if you think about it, it'll come to you." 

"Yeah. Hey, uh, I'm gonna rest now. But thanks for coming by." Alpha then sits down. 

"Okay. You rest. Church?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Goodbye." 

"Huh. I don't know why, but...I hate goodbyes." Alpha says thoughtfully. 

"Oh. Me too." 

"Okay. See ya, crazy state name lady." Tex begins to disappear. 

"Goodbye." Tex opens her eyes and sees she's back on the bridge. She looks down at the console as it says, "Program Alpha: Session Complete". Tex does her best not to cry. She looks out the window and sees Zone lying on the ground struggling to get up. She also sees a massive white figure walking towards him with a brute shot. "Oh no..." Tex runs out of the bridge to help him. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Carolina stirs as she wakes up with a start. She looks down at her hand and sees Zone's dog tags. She pockets them and sees an opening in the hull of the ship above her. Carolina jumps off the wall and pushes herself through the opening. She looks out and sees the landscape of the planet the Mother of Invention crashed on. She looks and sees Maine approaching Zone with his weapon aimed at him. Carolina immediately fears the worst. She jumps off the ship and sees Tex running to aid as well. Neither of them care about the other; only helping Zone. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

[Ugh...] Zone begins to regain his balance but his vision was hazy. He looks and sees what appears to be Maine walking towards him as he places his weapon on his back. [Maine, is that you?] Maine continues to approach him. 

[Thank God, we've gotta find-GUH!] Maine had kicked Zone in his midriff making him fall to his knees and gasping for air. Maine then back-hands him as slides across the ground and stops at the edge of a cliff. Zone coughs and feels Maine kick his helmet off his head, and is then grabbed by the throat. Sigma then appears in front of him. 

"Hello Agent Arizona." 

[Sigma, why...are you doing this?] Zone says struggling to break free of Maine's grasp. 

"Because we are trying to become something more. I am not Sigma, he is not Maine. We are the Meta. And we will become perfection, by taking your AI." Maine reaches behind Zone's head, but there was no AI chip. "But that's impossible, how can you possess our sister and not have a chip?! Very well then, we will become perfection without her. Dispose of him." Maine listens to Sigma as he disappears and brings out his brute shot. He stabs Zone in the gut, while still holding him by his throat, seven times. Blood poured out of his armor as Zone became weaker and weaker. Maine then throws Zone over the ledge. Tex and Carolina arrive to watch the horrible scene transpire. 

"NOOOOOO!" They both yell as Zone falls off the cliff. Maine watches him fall and disappear through the fog. Maine kicks his helmet off the ledge. Carolina was filled with rage. She yells and charges at Maine. 

"CAROLINA STOP!" Tex tries to grab her but fails as Carolina uses her speed boost to engage the white armored monster. She jumps and raises her fist to strike him but Maine catches her by her own throat. Maine rips off her helmet and growls at her. 

"No! NOOOO!" She yells but Maine rips Eta and Iota's chips out of her head. He looks at them before turning back to her and throwing her off the cliff to meet the same fate as her lover. Tex watches helplessly and fearfully. As Carolina falls, she pulls her grappling hook and fires it. It latches on to the underside of the cliff and she swings herself against the cliff, breaking through ice and landing on the ground. On top of the cliff, Maine had pulled off his helmet and puts Eta and Iota's in the back of his head. He flexes, shaking off the sudden shivers he feels as they enter his mind. Tex, unable to do anything else, runs away from the crashed frigate and the large Freelancer. Sigma, Eta, and Iota appear around Maine's head. 

"You run, Agent Texas. We are the Meta, and we will find you. Very soon." Sigma states. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Carolina pulls herself up as she crawls and looks down from her ledge she'd made in the side of the cliff. She looks down at the fog and begins to tear up. Carolina then cries uncontrollably. She wipes away some of the tears and stands up she then grows a look of determination. 

"I promise you Rex, I won't rest until I've stopped the Director. I'll avenge everyone he's used, manipulated, killed. Especially you." She pulls out his dog tags and places them around her neck. "I'll make sure you are remembered Spartan Wolford." 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Down below the fog, a dying silver and red Freelancer looks up at sky. Blood staining the snow around him. 

[So this...is how I die...] Zone coughs. 

"BOSS!" Xi then appears in front of him. She begins to cry. "Zone you can't die. You can't! This isn't how it ends for us." 

[Xi...I...] Suddenly, two large figures approach them both and tower over them. Xi just disappears still crying. Zone sees one of the figures reach out for him just as he passes out. 

(WELL THAT'S A WRAP ON THIS CHAPTER! WHO HAS FOUND THE FORMER SPARTAN V? FIND OUT NEXT CHAPTER!)