Prototype

Prototype is one of the seven short films in Halo Legends, the anime adaptation of the Halo universe.

The story follows Ghost, a UNSC Marine sent to Algolis to destroy a prototype powered armor. When he arrives, he finds the planet is still inhabited by humans who are under siege by the Covenant Empire. The suit is their only hope for survival.

Summary
Two Marines -- Ghost and an unnamed female -- take shelter in a forest on an unknown planet, surrounded by their dead comrades. The female marine asks her Sergeant about his call sign, "Ghost", while he dispassionately treats her wounds. With her dying words, she asks him, for once in his life, to "be human". The Marine's death and last words leave the usually-emotionless Ghost deeply disturbed.

Three years later, the planet Algolis is under attack by the Covenant. The Marines defending UNSC Weapons Research Facility T12A are taking heavy casualties fighting Covenant air and ground forces, trying to buy time for the remaining civilians to evacuate. However, the Hades Corps of UNSC Engineers refuses to retreat until all weapons and navigational data are destroyed in compliance with the Cole Protocol. As Covenant forces began their final push towards the base, the Prototype Suit the Marines were sent to destroy flies out of a nearby hangar.

The suit is being piloted by Ghost, who disobeyed the Cole Protocol in an effort to help the planet's civilians and his Marines escape. Ghost single-handedly engages the Covenant forces on the ground and in the air, taking out large numbers of their forces easily. In the ensuing battle, Ghost is overwhelmed by ground infantry. The suit's shielding system starts to fail, and the suit is completely disabled when a plasma grenade severs its (and Ghost's) left arm.

As Ghost struggles inside the disabled armor, he looks up at the escaping shuttles and flashes back to the female Marine's death. He admits that the moment she died in his arms, a part of him was lost and that he had become a "ghost" -- a shadow surrounded by death. A countdown on the suit's HUD finishes, and the suit's system requests a voice command to activate a self-destruct function. Ghost turns to face the advancing Covenant for one last glance, and gives the voice command: "be human". The prototype suit explodes in a nuclear detonation, killing Ghost and all the surrounding Covenant.

As the evacuees rendezvous with a UNSC Frigate in orbit of Algolis, Ghost's commanding officer reports that the Cole Protocol has been enforced, and that all navigational data and technology prototypes have been destroyed. He redacts his previous request for Ghost's court-martial, listing him as missing during heavy combat on Algolis and further stating that Ghost had demonstrated great conduct as a Marine and human being. He then informs of their  rendezvous with the UNSC Heart of Midlothian.

Transcript
Ghost treats an unnamed female marine's wounds while she looks up to the sky.
 * Unnamed Marine: Sarge. Look at the moon.It's funny, I never noticed how beautiful the moons are here. Do you think anybody noticed?
 * Ghost: Stay quiet. The Biofoam's working but you're still bleeding.
 * Unnamed Marine: There's something I've always wanted to know. Your call-sign. Ghost. What does it mean?
 * Ghost: Stop talking.You've got to hold tight until the med-evac gets here.
 * Unnamed Marine: You finally have an excuse to show that you care and...let me ask you something. Just one last thing. It won't hurt, I promise. What was I to you?
 * Ghost: WHat do you mean? You're a soldier. A soldier with a promising future ahead of you. You're...a soldier.
 * Unnamed Marine: And you're a ghost. Aren't you?
 * Ghost: What?
 * Unnamed Marine: Feelings pass right through you, don't they? SO cold and unforgiving in every choice you made in battle. Purest soldier. I think that's what let us trust you-
 * Ghost: Don't talk, save your strength.
 * Unnamed Marine: I don't need it.
 * Ghost: Huh?
 * Unnamed Marine: I need you to be strong. Strong enough to do what you've never done in your life. Can you be strong enough to allow yourself to be-can you just be human?

''The screen cuts to black. The words "BE HUMAN" are printed there.''

Three Years Later

Planet Algolis

UNSC Weapons Research Facility (T12A)

''A massive battle between the UNSC and the Covenant rages on. Explosions scar the terrain as two Warthogs engage a Banshee. The Banshee fires its Fuel Rod Cannon, destroying one Warthog as the gunner in a second attempts to shoot the Banshee down with the M41 LAAG, to no avail. The Banshee dodges and lands a hit. The remaining Warthog explodes. In a nearby hangar, two Cargo aircraft and a Pelican prepare to lift off. A Marine runs to another, who is covering behind a destroyed Warthog.''


 * Marine 1: Damn it man, what are you still doing here? Command has declared a full retreat!
 * Marine 2: We can't pull out! The civilians may be on their way out of here, but there's a corps of engineers still out there and I'm not leaving them behind!
 * Marine 1: It ain't up to you! Cole Protocol's been enacted, let's move it!

A nearby explosion showers the Marines with dust.


 * Marine 1: The shuttles!

''One of the cargo ships attempts to take off, but is hit by a plasma torpedo and is destroyed. A Phantom moves in, with a Grunt manning the side-mounted plasma cannon. The Phantom drops off a lance of troops and a Wraith.''


 * Marine 1: This fighting keeps up, we're gonna be as good as dead. We gotta stick it out and pray they can get us some evac. Let's go.

The first Marine walks back to a waiting Warthog.


 * Marine 1: Who's left behind?
 * Marine 2: What?
 * Marine 1: ANswer me, soldier, what the name of the group?
 * Marine 2: It's the Hades Corps! They're in Hangar 1030 and they say they're not leaving until they destroy the prototype of some weapons system!
 * Marine 1: The demolition squad. I should have known. Ghost.

''Near Hangar 1030, two Marines from the Hades Corps hold off a Covenant group. One fires a sniper rifle, while the other covers behind a rock.''


 * Marine 3: If the Cole Protocol's been enacted, why the hell are we stranded on the front line? We're pinned down here, and now the Sarge is missing. We're screwed.
 * Marine 4: Nah, we were sunk from the beginning.
 * Marine 3: What?
 * Marine 4: On his last assignment, our fearless leader let his entire platoon go down. They got wiped out in a single firefight. Sarge didn;t even flinch.
 * Marine 3: Yeah, well I guess that's why they call him a ghost then, isn't it. And why the brass always decide to put him on demolition ops, because he's not even human!

''An explosion smothers the rocks which the marines have been using for cover. One Marine is injured by the blast.''


 * Marine 3: Come on, don't die on me! Come on!

The injured Marine draws breath.


 * Marine 4: I can't believe these sons of bitches left us behind!

The Covenant draw closer, firing plasma into the air as they advance.


 * Marine 3: This is it...

''An explosion comes, but from behind. A mysterious figure flies overhead, landing in fromt of the Marines. This figure is the prototype weapons system they are meant to destroy.''


 * Marine 4: I don't believe it.
 * Marine 3: Oh my God. It's the prototype suit. But who the hell's driving it?
 * Ghost (COM): Ghost to Hades Corps. Fall back immediately. Ignore the Covenant. I'll hold them off. Nobody's dying here.

''The suit establishes a lock on the assailing Covenant. The Hades Corps Marines look on in shock and awe.''


 * Marine 3: You heard him, let's go.
 * Marine 4: You idiot. He's not supposed to be testing thst suit, he's supposed to destroy it!

''Ghost leaps into action. He attaches a Claymore Mine to a Wraith Tank and leaps clear. The resulting explosion engulfs the tank. Ghost's commanding officer, a Commander from ONI, sees Ghost using the suit.''


 * ONI Commander (COM): Can you hear me, Sergeant?! What do you think you're doing?! Your orders are to destroy the suit and all related data! You are disobeying direct orders!
 * Ghost: No sir, I am following my orders.
 * ONI Commander (COM): Explain yourself!
 * Ghost: I have destroyed all the data, and I am using the time left on this suit to safely evac my people.

''Ghost uses the suit's arm mounted machine gun to destroy an attacking Banshee. The suit deploys a reversed engineered Bubble Shield as Ghost turns the cannon on the attacking infantry.''


 * Ghost: I'm not leaving until every one of my men are safely off-
 * ONI Commander (COM): That is not the plan! I am ordering you to stand down and-
 * Ghost: There's no other choice. The mission cannot be jeapordised. ANd I am still responsible for these Marines.
 * ONI Commander (COM): Wait, Sergeant! Ghost! Listen to me!

''The scene cuts to the day Ghost lost his platoon, the same day he tried to save the unnamed Marine. He reminisces about how that day changed him.''


 * Ghost: I lost my entire platoon. Every one of my men. And that's when it happened. That's when I truly became a ghost. Just a shadow. SUrrounded by death.

''The unnamed female Marine is dead. Ghost, distraught, can be seen crying over her body.''

''The scene cuts back to Ghost in the prototype suit. The arm mounted cannon makes short work of the Elite infantry.''


 * Ghost: The suit has a staggered countdown. In order to trigger final detonation, the suit requires a voice command.

''Ghost switches to a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. He fires a rocket at a Wraith, destroying it in a single hit.''


 * Ghost: You designed it that way for a reason, didn't you?

''A Banshee moves to destroy the suit with its Fuel Rod Cannon. Ghost deployes the suits Bubble Shield and uses a recoilless rifle on the suits other shoulder to fend off the Banshee.''


 * ONI Commander (COM): Ghost...
 * Ghost: Just get my men off this planet. This is Ghost. Over and out.

''The Banshee takes two direct hits and is destroyed. The suit identifies more targets in the air. Ghost uses the suits in-built jetpack to tail attacking Banshees, destroying them with air-to-air missiles. Ghost then lands on the back of a Phantom and uses the recoilless rifle to blast a hole in the dropship's armor, destroying its control systems. It crashes into the ground. Ghost sees more targets, three Elites armed with Fuel Rod Guns. His Bubble Shield collapses as he uses the recoilless rifle to kill them. He uses the machine gun and the rifle to kill a Plasma cannon-wielding Elite and a Hunter, respectively. He blocks incoming fire from the Covenant with the armor on the suits left arm, but it soon overwhelms the armor and the suit's left arm, along with Ghost's, is severed. Ghost is thrown back while the Covenant advance.''


 * Ghost: What's the matter, Ghost? Why can't you move?

''The suit's HUD shows Algolis' moon. Ghost flashes back to the night the female marine died in his arms.''

''The scene changes. Ghost is now walking away from the Marine's body. He has laid out the Marine into a more peaceful pose and placed a flower in her hands.''


 * Ghost (Voicover): I made up my mind that day. The night I let my platoon die. I looked up at those moons and something died inside me. A conscience is something that gets in the way. That's all a soul is. An obstacle. Something to overcome. I can't atone for failing to protect them.

''The scene returns to Ghost lying injured on Algolis. The final transports get away unharmed. Ghost watches on as the transports depart. He makes one final effort to move, allowing the suit to identify the remainig Covenant. The countdown expires as he does so.''


 * Prototype Suit AI: Countdown complete. Voice command required. SPeak the voice command exactly as displayed.

''The phrase appears of Ghost's HUD. The words are revealed: "BE HUMAN", the last words of the dying female Marine. He remembers the night she died in his arms.''


 * Unnamed Marine: Let me ask you something. Just one last thing. It won't hurt, I promise. What was I to you?
 * Ghost: What do you mean? You're a soldier. A soldier with a promising future ahead of you. You're...a soldier.
 * Unnamed Marine: And you're a ghost. Aren't you?
 * Ghost: What?
 * Unnamed Marine: Feelings pass right through you, don't they? So cold and unforgiving in every choice you made in battle. Purest soldier. I think that's what let us trust you-
 * Ghost: Don't talk, save your strength.
 * Unnamed Marine: I don't need it.
 * GHost: Huh?
 * Unnamed Marine: I need you to be strong. Strong enough to do what you've never done in your life. Can you be strong enough to allow yourself to be-can you just be human? If not for your sake, for all of us. If you would just allow yourself to feel something...maybe you wouldn't be a ghost any longer.

''The scene shifts back to Algolis. Ghost realises what he must do, and his visor turns clear, allowing the audience to see his eyes.''


 * Ghost: Voice command authorisation. "Be human".
 * Ghost (Voiceover): And for one last instant, I'm human again.

''The suit accepts the voice command. The suit detonates in a huge nuclear explosion, engulfing the Covenant and the facility in its wake. The explosion can be seen from orbit, where the Sun rises. The two transports can be seen escaping the planet. A UNSC Frigate ' 'can be seen superimposed against the moon On one of the transports, Ghost's CO makes a report.


 * ONI Commander: Transmission from orbit around Algolis. Cole Protocol enforced. All weapons prototypes and accompanying navigational data eliminated. The soldier I previously recommended for military court-martial is...I recind and redact that portion of my earlier report. That soldier is officially missing in action, lost during heavy combat on Algolis. He demonstrated honorable conduct, not only as a Marine, but as a human being. We're heading for rendezvous with the UNSC Heart of Midlothian . Over and out.

END

Characters

 * Sergeant "Ghost"
 * Unnamed Marine

Organizations

 * Covenant Empire
 * United Nations Space Command
 * UNSC Marine Corps
 * Corps of Engineering

Species

 * Human
 * Sangheili
 * Unggoy
 * Mgalekgolo

Locations

 * Algolis
 * UNSC Weapons Research Facility T12A

Vehicles

 * HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark I Prototype Armor Defense System
 * M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle
 * Human Cargo Ship
 * D77H-TCI Pelican
 * UNSC Destroyer
 * The Heart of Midlothian
 * UNSC Frigate
 * Type-25 Assault Gun Carriage
 * Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft
 * Type-52 Troop Carrier

Weapons

 * MA5C Assault Rifle
 * M7/Caseless Sub Machine Gun
 * BR55HB SR Battle Rifle
 * SRS99D-S2 AM Sniper Rifle
 * Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle
 * Type-51 Carbine
 * Type-52 Directed Energy Support Weapon
 * Assault Cannon
 * Type-33 Light Anti-Armor Weapon
 * Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol
 * Type-1 Antipersonnel Grenade
 * T261 Lucifer Arm-Mounted Gatling Gun

Trivia

 * After the first Human Cargo Ship lifts off and is destroyed, the next scene shows a Type-52 Troop Carrier with a Type-25 Assault Gun Carriage in the troop bay. This is inaccurate considering they are usually carried on the underside of Phantoms.
 * All Covenant species in this episode have blue blood, despite the Elites and Hunters having purple and orange blood, respectively.
 * Strangely, the frigate that the Marines retreated to following the battle on the surface knowingly rendezvouses with the UNSC Heart of Midlothian, while the Cole Protocol demands that if Covenant forces are detected, a random jump must be executed. However, as the Protocol also states that the jump must not be executed towards any human population centers, it is possible that the jump was not considered a violation.
 * When the plasma grenade explodes and severs both the suit's and Ghost's arm blood spills out. This is not possible as the superheated plasma explosion would have cauterized any wound and would have prevented bleeding, however, this may have been an artistic choice.