Halo: Front Lines [BOOK ONE]

Chapter Ten - Propaganda

Historians Note: In a desperate attempt to prevent anarchy in the streets upon seeing the true horrors unfolding in the Outer Colonies, ONI Section Two decided to conceal the truth with a rigorous propaganda campaign. In truth, the Covenant were burning through dozens of human worlds with little to no opposition.

"C'mon! Hurry!" Jessica giggled as she gleefully ran
to Gray's truck. It had seemed like forever since they got to spend any meaningful quality time together, and she was ready to enjoy the whole evening at the local drive-in movie theater with Joseph. He may have been scarred, bloodied, aged by war, but he was still hers.

That's the way it would always be so long as she had anything to say about the matter. In one fluid motion, she flung open the door and jumped in the passenger seat. Then, turning to her love she flashed an excited look filled with impatience and waved him to her with both hands. He smiled, shaking his head as he hopped in the driver seat and kissed her before starting up the truck.

"At least someone seems to have missed me." Gray joked as he backed out of the driveway of their newly bought home.

"I'm here for the long haul." Jessica said just before kissing his cheek. "Don't let it go to your head gun boy."

"Oh really?" He playfully asked just before tickling her when she least expected it. She squealed and thrashed and laughed until she could hardly breathe. Finally, Gray let up and added: "These hands aren't just good for killing aliens, you know."

"Getting bold, are we?" Jessica shot back. Then with a playful wink she added: "I may not be a bomb or a bullet, but I'm my own kind of dangerous." With a smile, Gray gripped her knee and a content silence fell over the couple.

"How about some music?" Gray asked after a few more minutes of driving. When Jessica nodded, he turned up the radio only to tune in to a cheerful announcer giving the latest update about the events on the war's front lines.

"...latest reports are confirming that several more Covenant fleets have been annihilated." The announcer was already explaining. "On the ground, UNSC infantry divisions are moving door to door and eliminating the enemy with ease as they retake Harvest. The agricultural colony, just one of the multiple outer colonies under attack, is expected to be retaken in full by this year's end. Our men and women in uniform, as expected, seem to regularly defeat the enemy on the ground as they push from city to city in their quest to liberate the outer colonies from this newly perceived threat-"

"Pfft. Whatever man, shit..." Gray snorted as he flipped the holographic volume control to mute.

"Hey, cmon don't curse. What's wrong?" Jessica asked.

"He just..." The young soldier took a breath. "I don't like the way he described the way things are going. The Covenant are winning plenty of engagements in space and a lot of people have died." Gray explained with a hint of annoyance creeping into his tone.

"Well sweetie, it's not like we're gonna lose. The news said just the other day that the aliens are an even match for us on their best day." Jessica said as she tried to coax her soon-to-be husband. She knew that once his mind began to run wild and his anxiety took hold, there would be no stopping his fantasies of dangers that hardly ever actually arrived.

"He's just some cheery pencil pusher. I bet they pay him real good to give everyone their daily reminder that we're at war." Gray irritably jabbed at the radio. Then, lowering his voice to a mutter, he said: "I wonder if his son or daughter is on the front lines..."

"Does it matter either way, sweetheart?" Jessica asked. She wanted Gray to think his cynicism through before he blurted it out to the world.

"No..." Gray said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, love. It's just that I saw a lot of good people lose their lives while I was at Harvest. Some of them even sacrificed themselves for me..."