The Spartan Program? New recruits?
Leon was momentarily confused. He knew about the Spartan Program, a super-soldier initiative initially proposed and executed by the UNSC. The second phase was meant to be overseen by Catherine Elizabeth Halsey, but before the UNSC could officially begin Phase Two, Halsey had been secretly "abducted."
Now, the Bio Department was launching the Spartan Program. It seemed projects like Astartes and gene-seed technology were mature and well-established enough for the Bio Department to begin creating more options for super-soldiers on behalf of the corporation.
And these new recruits.
Leon followed Ada's gaze and saw what she meant—fresh-faced, clear-eyed youths who could barely contain their eagerness. Most of them appeared to have bodies that were highly cybernetically enhanced, likely recent transfers from experimental units.
At that moment, Leon's designated phone received a briefing notification. Unlocking the screen, he quickly skimmed the details and learned that he and Ada were to travel to the Halo universe, specifically to Eridanus II, to search for Spartan candidates. The recruits would also travel to various galaxies and planets, contacting candidates aged five to eight.
After a moment, Ada addressed the assembled personnel:
"Everyone!"
Once all eyes were on her, she continued: "We're heading to Universe 08, in pairs, tasked with contacting both candidates and their families on behalf of the Bio Department. For this mission, each of you has a high spending authorization for negotiating with candidates' families.
However, your approach and results will be part of your evaluation. Remember, being an effective investigator requires not only physical and mental resilience but also a certain level of diplomacy. In the future, you may find yourselves in disguise, possibly even as different species, infiltrating unknown societies and power structures.
Lastly, as the director of the Operations Division, I personally hope that all of you succeed in this assessment. Even if you don't qualify for selection, it doesn't mean you lack capability—it may simply mean that the Investigation Department is not your best fit."
Ada glanced at the mechanical watch on her left wrist and said, "Alright, it's time to head to the other side of the space portal, to Prosperity. Let's move."
With that, Ada turned and led the way to the space portal, her figure disappearing into the silvery, mercury-like surface.
Leon shrugged and followed.
"That's the legendary investigator, Leon S. Kennedy? He is as good-looking as the rumors say," Rebecca muttered with a bit of a swoon as she watched Leon's retreating figure, moving toward the portal.
"I heard Commander Kennedy's been single for over a decade," she murmured to David and Lucy beside her. "If I could snag him…"
"Watch your composure," David said with mild exasperation. He had left the experimental unit, and Lucy, as he'd hoped, had joined the Investigation Department with him. But to his surprise, Rebecca and most of their other comrades had also chosen to become investigators. It was as if his dream of teaming up with Lucy, investigating phenomena together, and building a deeper connection seemed like it would never come true.
"I heard the company's territory in Universe 08 encompasses the entire galaxy," Lucy said, diverting the topic. "I used to dream of going to the moon. Now, I hope to take in the vastness of the galaxy on this mission."
As they neared the portal, Lucy leaned slightly toward David, lowering her voice to say, "And I hope that our first mission as a team goes smoothly, and that we pass the assessment."
David froze for a moment, but he quickly realized Lucy was showing interest. Smiling, he replied, "Of course! We'll pass with flying colors!"
"Tch, you two are making us single folks suffer," Rebecca grumbled, rolling her eyes.
A team of sixty individuals—thirty pairs—crossed through the portal to the Prosperity Star frontline base. There, they boarded an orbital train that took them to the nearest VTOL helipad, where pre-prepared interstellar transport awaited, allowing them to reach various galaxies quickly for contact with the candidates and their families.
Their transport, the Atlas Eighth-Gen Prototype Cruiser, also known as the "Archer," was about 25 meters long, 16 meters wide, and 10 meters tall. It wasn't a traditional fighter jet like the Phantom or the Sparrowhawk; rather, it had a powerful fusion engine and a miniaturized warp drive, allowing it to operate independently from a mothership or base and extend its range across an entire star system.
At the landing platform, Leon and Ada boarded one of the waiting Archers, and after entering the cockpit, Leon set the coordinates for Eridanus II. The cruiser, piloted by an AI, handled the takeoff, retracted the landing gear, and smoothly accelerated upward, breaching the atmosphere and activating a blue vortex to enter warp space.
As the cruiser displayed "Estimated arrival in 4 hours," Leon glanced at Ada and remarked, "So, Director, you went to great lengths to cancel my leave and drag me along for this. Are you–"
"Don't flatter yourself, rookie," Ada cut him off abruptly. She left the copilot seat, turning toward the cabin.
Leon could only watch as Ada walked off with an exasperated sigh, mentally lamenting how mysterious women could be. Since Ada had undergone gene modification, she could likely hear his thoughts if he said anything, so Leon stayed silent and followed her into the cabin.
Inside, the Archer's magnetic field allowed them to walk normally despite the confined space. Ada poured herself a cup of coffee in the small galley and seated herself at the fixed table, reviewing the Spartan Program files on a hard-light screen. Leon sat across from her, made himself a cup of tea, and opened the files as well.
At the top of the document, the program was credited to Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey and Dr. Alexia Ashford, indicating that the company's Spartan Program would not follow the UNSC's "brute force" approach.
The company's Spartans would be selected from prepubescent boys and girls, who had yet to undergo significant development, as the program entailed three main stages:
1. Having candidates receive daily injections of nutrient solutions containing Inquis serum.
2. When candidates reached puberty, the company's medical team would conduct a series of enhancement surgeries.
3. After the surgeries and puberty, the medical team would administer a final chemical booster.
The enhancement surgeries included:
- Occipital capillary reversal
- Carbon-ceramic bone grafts
- Platinum thyroid implants
- Superconducting dendrite fibers.
The occipital capillary reversal would enhance blood flow to the rods and cones in the retina, amplifying visual perception. The carbon-ceramic bone grafts would cover the candidates' bones with a ceramic layer, making them "indestructible." The platinum thyroid implant would stimulate bone and muscle growth, further enhancing the candidates' physical strength. Finally, superconducting dendrites would increase reaction speed by 400%, enabling photographic memory as well.
Leon couldn't help but feel that the company's Spartan Program was a "lite" version of the Astartes procedure. Although he didn't have clearance to view the full Astartes process, he was familiar with many of its surgical procedures. The Spartan surgeries were a simplified version of the adult Astartes modifications.
Furthermore, Leon's comparison of UNSC's Spartan II files with the company's program revealed that these Spartans would not suffer the severe aftereffects like permanent blindness, fractures, or Parkinson's that plagued UNSC's Spartans, thanks to Atlas' refined procedures.
"Rookie," Ada said, glancing at Leon, "what's your take on the company launching the Spartan Program?"
Leon paused before replying, "I'm not sure. Maybe they want to bolster the Special Ops within the Investigation Department or need soldiers like Spartans for specific missions."
Ada nodded and leaned closer, lowering her voice. "I've heard from above that these new recruits will be the first phase of the Spartan soldiers. The Bio Department aims to…"
She leaned in even closer, and Leon could feel her breath on him. Startled, he looked at her in confusion, but Ada, clearly amused, used her index finger to nudge his forehead, restoring the distance between them before continuing:
"The Bio Department wants to create a massive auxiliary force of adult soldiers to strengthen the Imperial Legion."
"Strengthen the legion…" Leon pondered.
Ada chuckled softly at his thoughtful expression. Then, returning to her usual demeanor, she said, "With Terminators and Reapers replacing clone soldiers almost entirely, the Bio Department is eager to contribute further to the company and the Empire. We just need to focus on completing the mission."
With that, she headed toward the sleeping quarters. "I'm going to rest. Wake me when we arrive."
Leon was even more perplexed. She just had coffee. Why would she need to rest right after drinking it? Unless…?
Recalling his friend Mike's "advice" on such matters, Leon took a deep breath. Then, wearing an expression of determined resignation, he finished his tea in one gulp and made his way to the sleeping quarters.
Four hours later, the Archer cruiser, guided by the AI, exited warp space and returned to realspace. In front of them was their destination—
Eridanus II.
_________________________________________
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