From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man - Chapter 460

Soon after, the “Halo” universe numbered “Zero Eight”;

A Phoenix-class support boat is sailing quickly in the jump space.

In the dormitory on the right side of the ship, a group of recruits wearing Imperial Marine training uniforms were gathering near the porthole.

The vast majority of them had an unconcealed novelty in their faces and expressions, and their gazes were directed toward the seemingly endless “blue waves” outside the window.

The beautiful scenery of the loft space casts colorful reflections on the portholes, adding a dreamy atmosphere to the slightly monotonous sleeping cabin environment.

“I really can’t get tired of the scenery of this jump voyage,” a recruit said with emotion, with deep admiration in his tone.

“Haha, you just haven’t seen enough.” Another recruit standing aside smiled and shook his head, with a hint of ridicule in his tone:

“When you spend a few months in this bizarre place, you will definitely feel dizzy, and even the darkness of the universe will feel refreshing.”

“That’s much better than those empty space fields without nebulae.” Another recruit retorted, “At least it won’t be completely silent here.”

While admiring the scenery outside the window, they talked casually. Their curiosity about the unknown universe and their expectations for a new journey could not be concealed in their words.

These recruits are the best who have gone through layers of screening and rigorous testing to join the Imperial Marine Corps. Each of them has excellent physical fitness and willpower.

But at this moment, they are still like a group of fledgling children, delighted by the unique scenery of the loft space.

However, what excites them, and even looks forward to it, is not the ordinary jump voyage, but the next “battlefield” they will officially enter.

Because according to the original plan, these recruits were supposed to accompany the fleet on regular sweep missions, and then rely on the guidance and practical experience of the veterans to replace training courses with real combat.

However, not long ago, the fleet command suddenly changed the planned operational deployment.

The patrol plan, originally aimed at clearing out sporadic hostile forces, was quickly upgraded to a full combat readiness state.

The entire fleet adjusted its course and sailed at full speed toward the boundary of the chaotic star field, which was about two hundred light years away from the fleet’s current coordinates.

Their superiors informed that there is a group of “rebellion” organizations in the Chaotic Star Territory that may number tens of millions, and the personnel are mainly composed of the remaining Jiralhanae beasts and those who still believe in the supremacy of the Covenant.

Therefore, the 36th Fleet, where they are located, received very clear orders, that is, the core goal of this operation is to launch an all-round “clearance” operation.

In other words, they just happened to catch up with a large-scale military operation after officially joining the imperial army.

This is undoubtedly extremely impactful news for the new recruits who have just passed strict selection and officially joined the imperial army.

They originally thought that they would have a relatively smooth adaptation period, and gradually become familiar with the rhythm of the battlefield through training and simple tasks.

Now, however, they are about to be on the front lines of a massive combat operation.

Coupled with the fact that they are still in their prime of life, these young warriors are extremely excited about this.

Not only do they not have a trace of cowardice, but they are full of expectations and eager to prove themselves in the upcoming battle.

In the minds of many recruits, the glorious scenes of the battle even appeared, and everyone was full of enthusiasm, hoping to use this battle to climb the ladder of military merit and gain glory and prestige.

As for this moment, they have obtained approval from their superiors and can move freely and have fun for a period of time until the Phoenix-class support boat they boarded leaves the jump space with the fleet.

“.”

Charlie Hoylder, who was sitting on the bed, shook his head slightly, with a slight smile on his face.

He did not participate in the arguments and chats of his comrades, but felt a little helpless, but he could not help but be infected by the relaxed and happy atmosphere.

He knew very well that most of the excitement among his comrades stemmed from the anticipation of future battles and the desire for glory and rewards, and he was no exception.

Charlie’s heart also burned with the pursuit of merit.

He knew that if he performed well in the upcoming military operation, he would have the opportunity to receive a generous bonus.

This will not only make his military profile more convincing, but also bring him one step closer to a “dream”——

Customize a high-end synthetic companion for yourself.

In a sense, since the emotional frustration in high school, Charlie has been disappointed with the ordinary opposite sex, or is afraid of being targeted by the “Female Aquaman” again.

Therefore, he hopes that a synthetic companion who will always remain sincere can become a comfort to his lonely life, which is also one of his long-term goals.

He gathered his thoughts and lowered his head to tidy up his bed and personal belongings. After making sure everything was in order, he stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles of his training uniform.

Then, Charlie left the cabin and walked into the bright and spacious deck corridor outside.

The surrounding flat walls and decks also shone with a faint metallic luster under the cold-colored lights.

Occasionally, a few heavily armed Marines on patrol could be seen walking in the corridor, and they passed by him.

The hull of the ship is operating calmly as always, and the faint hum of machinery adds a sense of calmness to this Phoenix-class support boat.

Charlie decided to go to the “convenience supermarket” in the belly area of ​​the ship.

That is one of the most common leisure places for soldiers on the ship. It not only sells various daily necessities, but also snacks and comics produced by his own company (Atlas).

He has a special liking for snacks, especially a highly acclaimed “energy block”.

During the walk, in addition to the patrolling marines, you can also see the synths and engineers working together to perform routine inspections on various areas of the ship to ensure that there are no abnormalities in the equipment and smooth sailing.

In this busy scene, Charlie’s attention was instantly attracted by several dwarves.

These short “technical directors” work side by side with synths and engineers.

The dwarves’ hand-held tools are precise and skillful, and their conversations are mixed with heavy local accents, revealing their unique cultural background.

After all, the racial talent of the dwarves is construction and maintenance.

Since the dwarves were completely integrated into the imperial system, they have achieved “overtaking on the curve” in a few years, instantly surpassing the common engineers of Atlas.

This has led to the dwarves starting to serve as technical directors of armed formations such as legions and fleets.

As Charlie continued to move forward, he saw several more elites in tight training uniforms.

These elites, who were burly but well-proportioned, had a unique sense of majesty and publicity.

They were in groups, perhaps just finishing their daily “fights”, talking about jokes in low voices, and occasionally you could hear their unique “Ah~Ah!” hearty laughter.

This extroverted personality added a lot of vitality to the cold and hard ships.

And this natural fighting race can play the level of “super soldiers” without the need for Inques serum or expensive genetic modification surgery.

As a fleet deployed in the 08th universe (Halo) for a long time, elites often account for about 30% of its combat members.

Soon, Charlie arrived at the belly area of ​​the ship, which was not only the center for the soldiers on the ship to relax, but also the place for the crew and a group of soldiers to purchase.

In front of him was a spacious space division, with a canteen that provided hot meals on one side and a supermarket with shelves full of goods on the other side. The most eye-catching was a small bar with simple decoration.

In the bar, the elites and their human comrades were having a great time, drinking from huge glasses and biting off large chunks of barbecue.

Some dwarves were also there to join in the fun, and even after drinking too much, they would curse at their fellow dwarves or push each other, but everyone knew that lovers were like this by nature, so they didn’t pay much attention.

It wouldn’t be long anyway, the dwarves would get drunk, fall to the ground, and then fall into a deep sleep.

The cleaning staff would then carry these dwarves away and place them in the public rest area in this area to let them sober up themselves.

In addition, this area was also mixed with the figures of another ethnic group, the elves.

These races with elegant appearance and handsome looks were obviously more attractive to Charlie than the elites and dwarves.

They had a taller and more slender figure, and their steps were light and elegant, which was in sharp contrast to the rough atmosphere in the ship.

Whether they were picking up goods in the supermarket or drinking in a corner of the bar, the elves showed their unique calm temperament.

“.”

Charlie did not linger around the lively scene, but just glanced at the bar with the hatch open, and walked straight into the convenience store.

Then he walked straight to the shelf area marked “snacks”, and took away the energy blocks with pineapple and strawberry fillings, and also took a few bags of tomato-flavored baked potato chips.

Finally, he took two cans of energy drinks and a few physical comics that had just been put on the shelves.

Although the human empire now has a highly developed network system and all kinds of digital entertainment are at your fingertips, physical comics still occupy a special position.

Charlie has a deep understanding of this.

Although the electronic version is convenient, it can never replace the real texture brought by paper books, and the satisfaction after collecting.

Especially when these comics are neatly placed on bookshelves and bookcases, the visual “impact” and sense of accomplishment are incomparable to virtual devices.

However, when he was about to leave the comic area and prepare to check out, a gentle and charming voice came from behind him:

“Huh? Do you also like the comics of the “Star Warrior” series?”

The voice was pleasant to the ears, with a hint of light curiosity and intimacy.

Charlie stopped and turned his head slightly, with a little surprise and expectation in his heart, wanting to see who this person who suddenly spoke to him was.

I saw a female elf who was also wearing a Marine Corps training uniform and had long red hair standing not far behind him, and the other party’s eyes seemed to be mainly “focused” on the comics in his hand basket after just glancing at him.

Seeing the other party’s appearance clearly, especially the other party’s height was not much different from him, or even a little taller, made Charlie open his eyes involuntarily and was a little stunned on the spot.

Her temperament was not that of a tough warrior, but had a unique softness and nobility.

It must be said that after seeing the appearance of the female elf up close, Charlie was indeed a little flustered.

Fortunately, Charlie quickly adjusted his mentality and suppressed the shock in his heart, acting as if he was used to this kind of scene and regained his composure.

So, he asked with a little confusion:

“I like it very much, what’s wrong?”

“It’s okay, it’s okay~.”

After hearing this response, the female elf unconsciously raised a smile, and then said with joy and lightness in her tone:

“I just saw that you also like “Star Warrior”. I happened to be discussing the plot with my friends. I thought it was quite interesting, so I couldn’t help but want to chat.”

She paused and seemed to want to stir up the topic, “Which part of the story do you like? I am particularly interested in the final battle that broke out on Mars, especially the protagonist’s decision at that moment.”

Her words were easy and natural, and they did not seem to put any pressure on Charlie, but made him feel relaxed.

Obviously, this female elf is not constrained by form, but is simply passionate about the content in the comics.

“Well, the protagonist chose to take the initiative to rush into the vortex of another space for the sake of all mankind. It is indeed worthy of admiration.” Charlie nodded, his tone full of seriousness and approval.

And his answer seemed to resonate with the other person.

“Haha, it seems that our two concerns are quite similar.” The female elf smiled heartily, and then there was a hint of frankness and straightforwardness in her tone:

“Do you have any special arrangements next? If not, do you mind letting me buy you a drink? Just in time to chat about the plot, how about it?”

? ? ?

“Uh” Charlie’s mind suddenly went blank.

He was completely stunned by the sudden invitation from the other party.

After all, he had never been in this situation.

According to common sense, especially in the main universe, whether it is a man or a woman, issuing similar invitations often has some kind of subtext or additional “purpose”.

But now this female elf’s behavior seems to be completely undisguised.

Charlie secretly thought that although he considered himself to be above average in appearance and figure, it was really hard to believe that he had the conditions to allow such an elf with such a good temperament and appearance to take the initiative to talk to him.

You must know that among her tribe, the male elves not only have stronger bodies, but also often have handsome faces and long lifespans.

Could it be that they were deliberately trying to get close to each other and then implement some kind of “scam”?

Or maybe the other person lost a bet with a friend and needs to take a “big risk”?

Or do you simply think he is easy to deceive? ?

In just a few seconds, countless guesses flashed through Charlie’s mind.

When the female elf saw that he was stunned, she couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows slightly and added:

“Hello? Excuse me”

“Huh? Well, there are no special arrangements. It’s okay if you’re free.”

However, Charlie responded like a reflex, and somehow agreed.