Six's PoV:

It has been several months since I "joined" the program. I've come to learn that the Director (whom I am fairly sure is Carolina's father) has been fragmenting the Alpha to create more AIs. And I was next to receive an AI.

Please don't discover my Spartan implant.

I walked over to the med bay without my weapons and laid down on the operating table and let the doctors get to work. They tried to put me under anethsetic, but never bothered to check if I actually was under. I laid there, perfectly still, but awake. I felt the mercury surge into my brain and closed my eyes to help my mind adjust to this new input. I've had ship-grade AI's put in my helmet before, so I knew how to handle this situation. How some Spartans did it in the heat of battle, I'll never know.

The docs laid me down on a recovery bed and left. After waiting for several seconds, I sat up and opened my eyes. Everything seemed...... sharper.

"The hell?!?" That voice belonged to only one Freelancer: Texas.

I looked at her as I grabbed my helmet. "What do you want?"

Tex stood there, her body language betraying her emotions. "I was just going to check up on you, but how are you-?"

I stood up, slipping on my helmet. "I resisted the anesthetic. Just how I am. Did I tell you I used to be part of a ODST squad?"

Tex regained her cocky composure. "Yep."

"Well, one of the augmentations I went through to become an ODST was increased resistance to drugs. Sadly, that also goes for beneficial ones, too."

Tex was speechless as she watched me walk out of the medical wing. I made my way to my room, swiftly entered, then sat down in front of my console. That was when my AI revealed itself.

The orange avatar looked up at me in standard Mk. 6 armor. "So, uh, hi?"

I glanced at her.

"M-my name's Chi! Your's?"

I blinked at Chi. "Did you really just ask that? You're in my brain."

"Oh, right. Soooo.... what you doing?"

I activated my masking software and began to dig deep into the Director's files. "Chi. Can you keep a secret?"

"What ever you need, Wis!"

I rolled my eyes. "One, call me Six when we're alone. Two, don't tell anyone what I'm doing."

As I said that, I tapped into the Director's recording of the Alpha and its fragments. I came across a folder titled "Tests" and I opened it. What I found made me sick to my core. He was using us.

He planned on turning Maine into a monster, planned on giving one twin of the Dakotas an AI and not the other, and I continued to read. Chi was sitting there, reading with me.

Suddenly, Chi stopped me. I looked at her. "What?"

She simply walked up to the screen and pointed. I read what it said. Reach.

What about Reach?

I opened the file. What I found made my head spin.

I have finally managed to get Spartans onto Reach. The planet is doomed, I know that. But, what ever Spartan that comes out on top will be placed in the Program. I WILL make Texas the best there ever was!

Reach has fallen. ONI got to the Spartan before I could. No matter, I will bring back my wife my own way.

I stopped reading. Wife?

Quietly, I copied the files onto the drive ONI provided me. Exiting the file, I scrolled down and saw an AI I haven't seen. Beta. Curious, I tried to enter, but it was blocked by an eight diget passcode. Sitting, I tried to think when Chi suddenly inputted something and the file unlocked.

I gazed at her. "Chi?"

"Just... read."

I did so and my eyes widened. Texas was Allison Church. A memory nagged at me.

Where have I heard that name???

As I sat there, I suddenly remembered. She was on Reach when the Covenant invaded. I remembered her clearly. She was a well trained Marine and I had stumbled upon her while in New Alexandrea. We fought side by side for a long time before she got grabbed by a Chieftan. He ripped her in half and then charged me. I killed the Brute in a second, then ran over to Allison. She was clinging to life. I remembered her last words as I held her.

"Don't say goodbye. If you don't, you're not gone.... just.... not.... there...."

I sighed and realized that the Tex the Freelancers knew was simply a clone of the real one. As I copied all the files I can, I noticed someone else in the system. They weren't as sneaky as I was and I was able to trace them back to the source. Agent Connecticut. Silent, I left the system and unplugged my drive before turning off my stealth program. As I slipped the drive into my pocket, one thing drifted in my mind.

I must save everyone I can from this sick game.....

But to do that, I needed to act— fast. And it needed to be soon.