Halo: Hippocratica
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Halo: Hippocratica is a short story entry in the Halo Waypoint Chronicle series, written by Alex Wakeford and published by 343 Industries on February 5, 2024. The story ties in with Content Update 29 for Halo Infinite, and focuses on several topics and characters related to Halo Wars—the theme of the Content Update.[1]
Official synopsis[edit]
| “ | 2560. Adam Andrews, CEO of an interstellar corporation, ruminates upon the Covenant invasion of Arcadia—facing certain death, until the timely arrival of the UNSC Spirit of Fire. | ” |
Summary[edit]
The bulk of the story is based on excerpts from Not Far from the Tree: The Autobiography of Adam Andrews.
- Chapter 3: Adam reflects on his childhood experiences in Arcadia, where he often wanders off alone, viewing the central city as his personal playground. At eight years old, he relished exploring museums, chasing drymanders, and watching luxury Bantas from the port wall. However, during one such adventure, a sudden and chaotic attack engulfed the city. He initially mistook the explosions and colorful lights for fireworks, but quickly realized what was happening as people begin to scream and flee. In his panic, Adam tried to escape through the transit station, but found no trains. Overwhelmed by the chaos, he wished he had stayed with his parents. The vivid memories of that day blurred over time, mingling with news reports and docu-vid replays, leaving Adam unsure of what is real and what is imagined. He recalled the heat, the metal men, and a "magician."
- Chapter 5: After the attack, Adam became the ward of his aunt and uncle, who never intended to have children. They did their best to care for him, offering kindness and comfort during the first year, but Adam eventually felt the toll it took on them. The attack on Arcadia left Adam as the unexpected heir to the Optican corporate empire, a legacy that cannot bring back the lives he lost. He struggled with anger and guilt, wondering if his parents had tried to find him during the chaos or if he was to blame for their deaths. As he learned more about the attack over the years, he realized that survival had been the priority, and any attempt by his parents to find him would have been futile. Despite his survival, Adam is haunted by guilt, knowing that his wandering led to their separation and their final moments filled with dread and loss.
- Chapter 8: By 2541, Adam developed an obsession with sports, particularly for the engineering advancements they inspire in health and safety. He saw potential for Optican to sponsor such efforts, though he knew that the future was uncertain.
- Chapter 11: During his final years at university, Adam reflected on how the Arcadia attack shaped his goals and the challenges of learning to run a massive company at age 22. Despite some resistance from the board, he was determined to expand Optican’s military partnerships to prevent future tragedies, being driven by the knowledge that he is alive due to well-trained soldiers and his family's founding mission to save lives through Optican. Despite his growing responsibilities and the isolation that accompanied them, Adam found solace in his friendship with Dan, his second-year roommate, who helped him stay grounded amid his life's upheaval.
- Chapter 22: In the years following the Human-Covenant War, Optican continued expanding, aiming to provide hope to the countless worlds and people affected by the conflict, Adam committed to ensuring that hospitals were stocked, technicians trained, and budgets approved, recognizing that proactive preparation is essential for future issues. Although their nature has evolved, the core mission remained unchanged: Honor his family’s legacy and make them proud, even as he navigates the new obstacles that arise.
Adam, emotionally exhausted, completes a recording session where he revisits some of his biggest traumas. After receiving confirmation from the audio engineer that the session is over, he quickly leaves the booth and heads to the restroom, seeking a moment of respite. Struggling with exhaustion after running on just coffee for 36 hours, he splashes cold water on his face and takes deep breaths to calm himself. However, he is soon pulled back into another memory.
In this memory, Adam is trapped in a transit station with locked doors, hearing shouting and screaming outside. He recalls a moment when a Marine dressed in battle gear, whom he refers to as a magician, helped him escape by forcing the doors open. They quickly entered a military vehicle, and the magician drove at a high speed through a chaotic city under attack, where soldiers and civilians are in panic. The magician reassured Adam, promising that they will "disappear" when they reach the spaceport. Adam fixates on the magician, ignoring the surrounding chaos, and notices a trinket: An ace of spades playing card attached to the magician’s shoulder pad, which he claims is their ticket to having Lady Luck on their side.
Back in the present, Adam arrives at the executive-level pad where an EV-44 Nightingale VTOL, a customizable airframe developed postwar in partnership with Misriah Armory, awaits him. He boards the aircraft alone, accompanied by two other EV-44s carrying private military specialists as a precaution. As the Nightingale takes off, Adam makes a call to Dan, now his 12-year husband. The conversation is strained, revealing the distance between them due to Adam’s work commitments. Adam promises to explain everything to Dan the next day, hoping for understanding.
As the Nightingale flies over Arcadia, Adam recounts the planet’s history, ravaged by the Covenant and left as a desolate glassed world. He considers the Optican's role in the interstellar healthcare system that arose postwar providing essential medical and psychological support to the countless refugees displaced by the conflict. However, despite these efforts, new threats continually emerge, and Adam feels a deep sense of existential dread—has Lady Luck abandoned them?
The Nightingale lands in a swampy unscathed part of Arcadia, where Adam exits into a clearing surrounded by resilient trees. He walks through the ruins of an old UNSC firebase, marveling at ancient Forerunner structures. Adam meets with three Kig-Yar salvagers who have brought a UNSC equipment crate. They are wary of surprises, but Adam reassures them as they walk through an overgrown field, leading them to the ruins of a battle-scarred Scarab. Adam points out the vehicle's focus cannon, which had survived the battle.
Adam reflects on the past, recalling the Spirit of Fire and its crew including the magician who had saved him. Declared missing in action, they were believed lost, but Adam holds onto the hope that they are still out there somewhere. The Kig-Yar, satisfied with the deal, prepare to depart with the focus cannon. As Adam returns to the UNSC firebase, he oversees the loading of his own cargo onto the Nightingales, feeling a sense of relief that the transaction went smoothly. With the conclusion of this chapter, he looks forward to what comes next, even pondering his next book.
The perspective shifts to Team Omega; August-099 remains vigilant, observing through her M99A2S3 Stanchion as three Nightingales depart. She knows the details of Optican's involvement in the deal will have to wait, but the Kig-Yar salvagers and their Phantom have not yet left, leaving a window of opportunity open. Robert-025 and Leon-011, already in position, signal readiness with green status lights on her HUD.
August signals with three quick bursts from her weapon, and the Kig-Yar salvagers are instantly obliterated by its tungsten rounds. Leon rushes toward the Phantom, leaps into the rear gravity lift and ignites his energy sword to eliminate the pilot and any remaining forces inside. Robert, ready with his heavy machine gun turret, prepares for any escapees, but Leon quickly confirms the dropship is neutralized. "Good work, Omega Team," August says over TEAMCOM now that they are alone.
Leon obtains the transport manifest and feeds the data to their HUDs. Robert begins preliminary scans of the Scarab's focus cannon. August remains on overwatch, ensuring there are no unexpected visitors. Leon comments on Nor Fel's growing confidence now that both the Created and Office of Naval Intelligence are no longer a threat. As he updates the cargo manifest, Leon is surprised by what he sees.
August recalls a memory from Hellas, 2527 during the war, when Insurrectionist activity varied, with some sectors experiencing declines while others pressed a new advantage with a weapon that could supposedly level the playing field against Spartans. A group of soldiers, cornered and low on ammo, witnessed one of their own inject himself with something that turned him into a nearly unstoppable force. The soldier became as resilient as an M808 Scorpion, only falling after taking significant damage. However, he soon turned on his allies, tearing through them with the same ferocity. ONI identified the substance as a Waverly-class augmentor, nicknamed "rumbledrugs" by soldiers. This chemical cocktail temporarily suspended the body's normal limits, enhancing strength and pain tolerance by targeting the frontal lobe at the cost of severe psychological damage. Once it became clear that users were as dangerous to their own side as to the enemy, the drug was declared illegal and fell out of use. This raises the question: Why does Optican want these illegal and ineffective drugs?
With the final mission details to stage the transaction complete, ensuring Nor Fel believes the item she expects has been waylaid, Robert confirms the focus cannon is secure. Leon signals the skies are clear with a green status light. August orders the team to wrap up, and they prepare to leave the area.
Appearances[edit]
Gallery[edit]
Concept art of the Arcadia Gardens.
Concept art of the Forerunner ruins.
August-099 on Arcadia.
Rumbledrugs.
External links[edit]
- Halo: Hippocratica - The official Waypoint post in which the short story was released for free.
- Official Hippocratica PDF - The PDF of the short story released on Halo Waypoint (Archived copy).
- Halo: Hippocratica | Audiobook - The audiobook narrated by Alex Wakeford.
Sources[edit]
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Halo: Hippocratica (Retrieved on Feb 16, 2024) [archive]
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